Moving to Kansas
New residents have 90 days to get a Kansas driver license and must register a car within 90 days. Prices are 9.9% below the U.S. average, and a single filer earning $100,000 pays about $4,780 in Kansas income tax. 39,767 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from Missouri and Texas.
New resident checklist for Kansas
Driver license
Get a Kansas driver license within 90 days of establishing residency (for example, starting a job, buying or leasing a home, enrolling children in school or registering to vote), per the Kansas Highway Patrol. Full-time nonresident college students and active-duty military are exempt. Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your Kansas address.
Vehicle title and registration
Register within 90 days of establishing domicile; Kansas Highway Patrol VIN inspection required for out-of-state titles; emissions testing not required. Switch your auto insurance to a Kansas policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: No new-resident fee. If you bought the vehicle within the last 6 months, the county asks for a sales tax receipt; ask your county treasurer whether Kansas tax applies. Personal property tax is due at first registration.
Annual registration: Registration fee by weight ($30 up to 4,500 lb, $40 over) plus annual county vehicle property tax based on the vehicle's value and age. Since January 1, 2026, all-electric vehicles pay a $165 registration fee in place of the weight-based fee, about $125 to $135 more than a gas car (plug-in hybrids $100, other hybrids $70).
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: $135.
Establishing residency
Residency begins when you establish a Kansas domicile or residence, which starts the 90-day registration clock. Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in Kansas
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Make sure your employer withholds Kansas income tax from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $2,008 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: ksrevenue.gov. Sources: jocogov.org, jocogov.org (2), jocogov.org (3), kansashighwaypatrol.gov, kslegislature.gov, klrd.gov. Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the Kansas motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to Kansas
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in Kansas.
Equal salary in KS: $70,600
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $70,600 in Kansas to match $70,000 in Missouri ($600 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $70,000 | Missouri | Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $6,570 | $6,570 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $5,355 | $5,355 |
| State income tax | $2,306 | $3,106 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $0 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $55,769 | $54,969 |
Full reports for the most common moves to Kansas: Missouri to Kansas, Texas to Kansas, Colorado to Kansas, Oklahoma to Kansas, California to Kansas and Florida to Kansas.
Living in Kansas: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), Kansas is in the best 10 for overall prices, and in the worst 10 for homeowners insurance and property tax rate.
- Median rent
- $1,079/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $1,680/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $74,400 $679 less than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 1.25% median $2,983/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 71.3 of 100 Above average for U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 39,767 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in Kansas
How Kansas ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where Kansas ranks best
- Top 10 Lowest overall prices: price level 90.1 (U.S. = 100, BEA 2024), tied with 1 other state for 10th lowest.
Where Kansas ranks worst
- Bottom 10 Highest homeowners insurance: $2,008 a year at the median for homes with a mortgage (Census ACS 2024), 7th highest of 51.
- Bottom 10 Highest property tax rate: 1.25% of home value a year, tied with 1 other state for 10th highest.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new Kansas residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 39,767 households filed their taxes in Kansas after filing in another state the year before. Missouri sent the most, 10,597 households (27% of the total). Kansas lost a net 3,272 households to other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to Kansas from other states reached a five-year high in 2022–23: 39,767 households, up 12% from 2018–19. Kansas lost households to other states on net in all five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 −5,823, 2019–20 −3,861, 2020–21 −2,859, 2021–22 −3,866, 2022–23 −3,272.
Cost of living in Kansas vs the U.S.
Overall prices in Kansas are 9.9% below the U.S. average, 10th cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in housing (71.2), 29% below the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $124/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $973/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $670/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in Kansas: take-home pay at three incomes
Kansas taxes wages. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | KS income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1,990 | $40,365 | -$414 |
| $100,000 | $4,780 | $74,400 | -$679 |
| $150,000 | $7,570 | $106,221 | -$1,366 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Kansas income taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
The statewide sales tax rate is 6.5% before any local sales taxes. Homeowners pay a median $2,983 a year in property tax, 1.25% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how Kansas taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in Kansas: where a paycheck goes furthest
The Wichita metro area is the only one of the 149 U.S. metro areas we cover that is centered in Kansas. About $69,700 there buys what $75,000 buys in an average-priced area with no state income tax.
| Metro area | Salary to match $75k | Price level | Median rent | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | $69,700 | 88.9 | $1,010 | $223,700 |
Salary to match $75k: the pay that leaves the same after-tax, price-adjusted income as $75,000 in an area at U.S. average prices with no state income tax, single filer, including the principal city's own income tax where it has one. BEA 2024 price levels (U.S. = 100) and Census ACS 2024 rent and home values for each metro area.
Parts of Kansas also belong to the Kansas City metro area, which is centered outside Kansas.
Housing and home insurance in Kansas
| Measure | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,079 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $238,700 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $1,680 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $71,999 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $2,983 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $2,008 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in Kansas for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in Kansas
Kansas's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 71.3 of 100, above average for U.S. counties and 14th safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $607 per resident a year, and about 39% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every Kansas county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to Kansas come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 39,767 households moved to Kansas from other states. The most came from Missouri (10,597 households), Texas (3,876) and Colorado (2,355).
What are the pros and cons of living in Kansas?
Where Kansas ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: lowest overall prices, tied with 1 other state for 10th lowest. Where it ranks worst: highest homeowners insurance, 7th highest of 51; highest property tax rate, tied with 1 other state for 10th highest.
Is Kansas expensive to live in?
Overall prices in Kansas are 9.9% below the U.S. average (BEA price level 90.1, 2024), 10th cheapest of 51. Median rent is $1,079 a month and the median home is worth $238,700.
How long do I have to get a Kansas driver license after moving?
90 days after becoming a resident. Get a Kansas driver license within 90 days of establishing residency (for example, starting a job, buying or leasing a home, enrolling children in school or registering to vote), per the Kansas Highway Patrol. Full-time nonresident college students and active-duty military are exempt.
How long do I have to register my car in Kansas?
90 days. Register within 90 days of establishing domicile; Kansas Highway Patrol VIN inspection required for out-of-state titles; emissions testing not required.
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to Kansas?
No new-resident fee. If you bought the vehicle within the last 6 months, the county asks for a sales tax receipt; ask your county treasurer whether Kansas tax applies. Personal property tax is due at first registration.
What makes me a Kansas resident?
Residency begins when you establish a Kansas domicile or residence, which starts the 90-day registration clock.