Rents are 9% below what Shawnee'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 $1,497 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
February. Asking rents in Shawnee usually run 1.1% below trend in February and 1.6% above it in June, about $40 a month apart at today's median. Based on 6 years of data.
Rent in Shawnee is 0.3% below its high of $1,501 in August 2025, at $1,497 as of September 2026.
Rent in Shawnee changed +0.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 21 Kansas cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.2%.
Rent in Shawnee is 42.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 5 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($109,940) is $2,749 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($2,147).
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Shawnee, 66226 ($2,480/mo), costs 45% more than the cheapest, 66216 ($1,715/mo).
Kansas City, 7 miles away, rents for 12% less ($1,322/mo), about $2,100 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Shawnee. 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
Shawnee, KS is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 53.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Shawnee, KS has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Shawnee, KS has shifted from $1,116 to $1,497, up 34.1% since 2021. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $93,835 in 2021 to $109,940 more recently. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Shawnee, KS adding about 1,521 residents over the five-year window, up 2.3% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 51.1% to 53.1% across the same window. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Shawnee, KS market of 2021.
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At $1,497/mo, how Shawnee rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Shawnee rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Shawnee. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Shawnee
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Shawnee is $1,497/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,113/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,390/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,220/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,813/mo.
At 16% of local median household income ($109,940/yr), Shawnee ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Shawnee?
At $1,497/mo, rent takes ~16% of Shawnee's median household income ($109,940/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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