Where Kansas Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022
How does living in the Hawkeye State affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Kansas household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Kansas’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $1,720 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 35 cities and towns across Kansas, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Kansas and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Kansas’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Kansas residents’ household bills are 20% lower than average
The average Kansas household pays $1,720 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are:Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Kansas residents pay low household bill expenses: the state ranks 38th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending, with residents paying almost a $300 difference from the national average of $2,003:14.1% lower.
Slightly more expensive than Kansas is Tennessee, where residents pay $1,734 a month on average; slightly more affordable than Kansas is Ohio, where residents pay $1,717.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay $2,911 per month. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where bills average $1,452 per month.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story. ansas households spend 34% of their income on household costs, which is not only lower than the national average (36%), but also lower than the income share in even some states where households pay more affordable bills. For example, Mississippi residents, though they pay much less expensive bills than Kansas residents in absolute terms ($1,559 a month), spend a much higher percentage of household income on them: 42%.
Annually, Kansas residents pay $23 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Kansas by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Kansas
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,720 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $23 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 38 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 34%
- Difference from the National Average: 14.1% lower
Rent in Kansas is 24% lower than the national average
The average Kansas household pays $1,720 in the 10 most common bills per month. Housing costs deviate substantially from the national average. The average mortgage is $1,164 per month in Kansas compared to the national average of $1,368: 15% lower. The difference in Rent is even more dramatic: at $859 in Kansas compared to $1,129 nationally, it is 24% lower than the national average.
Auto insurance is also a category where Kansas residents save substantially compared to the national average. The average Kansas household spends $173 on their utility bill, compared to the national average of $196: a 12% difference.
Health insurance is the area in which Kansas residents save the most, proportionally, compared to the national average. The average household in the state pays $89 a month for health insurance bills, compared to the national average of $123, making the costs 28% lower than the national average.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Kansas Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Kansas Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Kansas Percent +/- National Average ($2,003) |
| Mortgage | $1,164 | $1,368 | 15% lower |
| Rent | $859 | $1,129 | 24% lower |
| Auto Loan | $437 | $433 | 1% higher |
| Utilities | $325 | $328 | 1% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $173 | $196 | 12% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $109 | $114 | 4% lower |
| Health Insurance | $89 | $123 | 28% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $109 | $113 | 4% lower |
| Alarm & Security | $149 | $84 | 78% higher |
| Life Insurance | $93 | $82 | 13% higher |
| Total | $1,720 | $2,003 | $14% lower |
Leawood is the most expensive area for Kansas household bills
Residents of Leawood pay the highest household bills in the state of Kansas, at an average of $2,403 per month. Lenexa comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $2,168 on household expenses.
Leawood’s residents, despite paying the most expensive bills in Kansas, spend a much lower share of household income on bills. They spend 24% of income on household expenses, compared to the state average of 34%. Lenexa residents pay a much higher share of income on average: 30%.
Also on the list of the most expensive areas to pay household bills in Kansas are Prairie Village ($2,112 per month), Lawrence ($1,944 per month), and Kansas City ($1,981 per month).
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Kansas Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 35) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Leawood | $2,403 | 24% |
| 2 | Lenexa | $2,168 | 30% |
| 3 | Overland Park | $2,131 | 29% |
| 4 | Prairie Village | $2,112 | 27% |
| 5 | Olathe | $2,108 | 29% |
| 6 | Mission | $2,043 | 36% |
| 7 | Shawnee | $2,021 | 28% |
| 8 | Kansas City | $1,981 | 52% |
| 9 | Gardner | $1,969 | 31% |
| 10 | Lawrence | $1,944 | 45% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Arkansas City is the most affordable place in Kansas for household bills
Out of 35 cities and towns for which doxoINSIGHTS provides data, Arkansas City is the most affordable place in Kansas, with residents paying $1,417 on average for household bills. However, these residents, despite paying the lowest bills in the state, spend a disproportionately large share of their income on household expenses: 39%.
Great Bend is second most affordable area on the list, with residents paying an average of $1,452 on household bills. These residents spend 36% of household income on bills: equivalent to the state average.
Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Kansas are Liberal ($1,456 a month), Pittsburg ($1,483 a month), and Newton ($1,517 a month).
10 Most Affordable Kansas Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (26-35 out of 35) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 26 | Dodge City | $1,523 | 35% |
| 27 | Newton | $1,517 | 34% |
| 28 | Hutchinson | $1,514 | 35% |
| 29 | Parsons | $1,500 | 41% |
| 30 | Pittsburg | $1,483 | 48% |
| 31 | Winfield | $1,471 | 35% |
| 32 | Liberal | $1,456 | 37% |
| 33 | Ottawa | $1,454 | 34% |
| 34 | Great Bend | $1,452 | 36% |
| 35 | Arkansas City | $1,417 | 39% |
In the wake of the rise of remote work, some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Kansas’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.