Can A Registered Nurse Afford Rent in Wichita, KS?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 16.2% of gross income.
Wichita rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Kansas state estimate).
About rent and a registered nurse salary
Rent is the single largest fixed cost most renters carry, and the rent-to-income ratio is the simplest measure of whether a city is livable on a given salary. For renters earning a typical registered-nurse income, the 30% rule supports about $2,360 a month in rent. That margin covers comfortable one-bedroom rent in the vast majority of US metros but tightens significantly in the highest-rent coastal cities, where rent can claim 40% or more of an RN paycheck. The per-city pages below show the local rent, the local nurse-pay estimate, and where that combination sits on the affordability scale.
Cheaper rent nearby
These Kansas cities have lower median rent than Wichita, which improves the affordability math on a registered nurse salary:
Compare with full rent data for Wichita
View full rent data for Wichita, KS →Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford rent in Wichita, KS?
Median rent in Wichita is $1,146 a month. A typical registered nurse in Kansas earns about $85,032 a year, which makes that rent 16.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a registered nurse afford in Wichita?
Using the 30% rule, a registered nurse salary in Kansas (~$85,032/yr) supports up to $2,126 a month in rent. Wichita's current median rent is $1,146/mo, which leaves a $980/mo buffer.
How many hours does a registered nurse work to cover rent in Wichita?
At an hourly equivalent of about $41 an hour, a registered nurse in Kansas works roughly 28 hours a month to cover Wichita's median rent of $1,146.
Where is rent cheaper than Wichita for a registered nurse?
Nearby Kansas cities with lower median rent include Topeka ($1,145/mo), Topeka ($1,142/mo), Junction City ($1,138/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a registered nurse salary.