Rents are 3% below what Olathe's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,809 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Olathe usually run 1.3% below trend in December and 1.4% above it in July, about $49 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in Olathe is 0.4% below its high of $1,816 in August 2026, at $1,809 as of September 2026.
Rent in Olathe changed +3.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 21 Kansas cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.2%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Olathe rose 34.9% while median household income rose 26.1% ($90,435 to $114,009). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Olathe is 42.6% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($114,009) is $2,850 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($2,115).
Gardner, 7 miles away, rents for 11% less ($1,602/mo), about $2,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Olathe. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Olathe, KS is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 50.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Olathe, KS has changed in 5 years
Rent in Olathe, KS has climbed 34.2% since 2021, going from about $1,348 per month to roughly $1,809 today. Household income in the area moved from $100,849 to $114,009 across the same window, up 13.0% versus 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 21.2 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 140,339 to 145,057 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.4% change. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Olathe, KS look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
Discussions about Olathe
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Can you afford rent in Olathe on your salary?
At $1,809/mo, how Olathe rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Olathe rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Olathe. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Olathe
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Olathe is $1,809/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,090/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,370/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,205/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,785/mo.
At 19% of local median household income ($114,009/yr), Olathe ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Olathe rent compare to other cities in Kansas?
At $1,809/mo, rent takes ~19% of Olathe's median household income ($114,009/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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