Moving to Kansas from Washington
What to Expect
Considering a move from Washington to Kansas? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Washington to Kansas, you would find that Kansas is 19.0% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly $59,192 in Kansas to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Washington and Kansas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $59,192
To maintain the same standard of living in Kansas
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 16.9% less
Groceries
pay 13.3% less
Transportation
pay 25.9% less
Housing
pay 20.2% less
Childcare
pay 37.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.6% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Kansas cost about 16% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Kansas compared to Washington.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Washington generally does better on safety, though Kansas leads in property crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Washington performs better than Kansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Kansas performs significantly better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Washington generally does better on infrastructure, though Kansas leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Kansas leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs better than Kansas across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Olympia | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Olympia | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) | 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) |
| Feb | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) | 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) |
| Mar | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) | 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) | 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) |
| May | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) | 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) |
| Jun | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) | 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) |
| Jul | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) | 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) |
| Aug | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) | 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) |
| Sep | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) | 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) | 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) | 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) | 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kansas than Washington?
On average Kansas is about 21% less expensive than Washington, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Kansas?
Budget about $14,798 for 3 months in Kansas (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Kansas safe?
Washington generally does better on safety, though Kansas leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Kansas compared to Washington?
Washington performs better than Kansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Kansas compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Topeka is 66°F, compared to 60°F in Olympia. Topeka receives around 38.9 in of rainfall per year, while Olympia gets 50.0 in.
