Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Ottawa County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $133,035 | $104,507 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 30.0% | 5.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $737 | $1,029 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 1.5% | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Ottawa County is about 27% higher than in Kansas. Rent is about 28% lower than the Kansas average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Ottawa County, up about 30.0% and 1.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Ottawa County rose about 21.6% between 2015 and 2023, from $606 to $737. Over the same span, rent in Kansas rose about 35.9%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.7 yearly household incomes in Ottawa County.
Buying the median-priced home in Ottawa County costs roughly 15.0 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Ottawa County. The price-to-rent ratio in Kansas is about 8.5.
| Metric | Ottawa County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $133,035 | $104,507 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $77,069 | $72,682 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.7 | 1.4 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Ottawa County rose about 1407.9%, while median household income rose about 65.1% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Ottawa County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 69.1% | 60.4% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 19.4% | 29.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 11.4% | 9.7% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2012 | 2011 |
Ottawa County has a homeownership rate of 69.1%, higher than the Kansas average of 60.4%. Its housing vacancy rate is 11.4%, compared with 9.7% in Kansas.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Ottawa County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.39 people | 2.45 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1966 | 1974 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.5 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Ottawa County was built around 1966. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 6.5 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Ottawa County, Kansas.
What is the median home price in Ottawa County, Kansas?
The median home price in Ottawa County, Kansas is $133,035, higher than the Kansas average of $104,507.
What is the average home price in Ottawa County, Kansas?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Ottawa County, Kansas?
The median gross rent in Ottawa County, Kansas is $737 per month, lower than the Kansas average of $1,029.
What was the median gross rent in Ottawa County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Ottawa County, Kansas was $676 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Ottawa County, Kansas?
The price-to-rent ratio in Ottawa County, Kansas is about 15.0, meaning it would take roughly 15.0 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Ottawa County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Ottawa County, Kansas?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Ottawa County, up about 30.0% and 1.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Ottawa County, Kansas?
69.1% of households in Ottawa County, Kansas own their home, higher than the Kansas average of 60.4%.
What is the vacancy rate in Ottawa County, Kansas?
The housing vacancy rate in Ottawa County, Kansas is 11.4%, higher than the Kansas average of 9.7%.