Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Wichita
You think about moving to Wichita but want to get additional information about the city, public infrastructure, education opportunities, job market, crime rate and much more?
Great! Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of living in Wichita in the following article.
Living in Wichita – Overview
Climate | Wichita has a subtropical climate with warm summers and relatively short but cold winters. |
Housing | Property prices and rents are pretty low and housing shortage is not a big problem in Wichita yet. |
Income | Median household income in Wichita is far below national average and many people struggle to make good money in this region. |
Crime | Wichita crime rates are significantly above national average. |
Education | While you will find some decent schools, you will still not find world-class education in the Wichita region. |
Job Market | Wichita’s unemployment rate is slightly above national average. |
Culture | Wichita is a culturally interesting place where you can meet many interesting people. |
Leisure Activities | You can go fishing, camping and do many things you may be used to from other big cities. |
Landscape | Wichita is surrounded by fields and lakes but doesn’t have astounding nature like San Francisco or other popular regions. |
Infrastructure | Wichita has decent public transport and good medical infrastructure and you will find everything you need for daily life in this city. |
Level of Tolerance | Wichita is one of the most tolerant places in Kansas. |
Nightlife | Limited number of decent bars, nightlife in Wichita is not great. |
Total Population | 407,283 inhabitants. |

Advantages of Living in Wichita
- Living costs in Wichita are pretty low
- Buying a home is affordable for the average person
- Rents are reasonably low in Wichita as well
- You can find a good place to stay pretty quickly
- Financial pressure in the Wichita region is fairly low
- Easy to provide for your family in Wichita
- Wichita is a pretty relaxed place
- Wichita is not a crowded city
- Traffic jams are rather rare in Wichita
- Wichita has decent public transport near the city center
- Wichita is a bike-friendly city
- Population in Wichita is growing
- Good future outlook for Wichita
- Wichita has decent tap water
- Decent medical infrastructure in Wichita
- Wichita has a decent art scene
- Wichita is a multicultural city
- People in Wichita are friendly and outgoing
- You can make real friends rather soon
- You are welcome from all over the world
- Decent supply of material goods in Wichita
- Wichita is a dog-friendly city
- Real seasons make living in Wichita interesting
Living costs in Wichita are pretty low
One advantage of living in Wichita is that living costs are pretty low in this region and if you go out for a drink or do many other things, you will often have to spend far less compared to people living in San José or other more expensive regions and you will therefore be able to afford much more with the same amount of money in Wichita.
Buying a home is affordable for the average person
Also property prices in Wichita are fairly low and this gives you the opportunity to buy a home at an affordable price so that you don’t have to pay back lots of money on your mortgage but will have more disposable income to spend on other nice things instead.
Rents are reasonably low in Wichita as well
Not only property prices are pretty low, but also rents are much lower than in many other big cities and you will therefore not struggle to pay rent in a reliable manner as much as people moving to Los Angeles or other more expensive places and can live your life in a more relaxed manner.
You can find a good place to stay pretty quickly
Since demand for housing in the Wichita region is rather low, you will also have many housing options to choose from and even though you might not have the best financial standing or background, chances are that you will still find a decent place to stay much quicker than in many other regions where overall demand for housing and competition is much higher in general.
Financial pressure in the Wichita region is fairly low
Another upside to living in Wichita is that thanks to low living and housing costs, overall financial pressure for people living in Wichita is pretty low and this means that you will not have to worry about getting into financial problems as much as people living in more expensive regions and you will also be able to save and invest enough money for retirement while many other people often struggle in this regard.
Easy to provide for your family in Wichita
Thanks to low living costs, you will also have a rather easy time providing for your family in Wichita and if you want to have a big family and many kids, it can make sense to move to Wichita since you may just not be able to afford this kind of lifestyle in more expensive cities.
Wichita is a pretty relaxed place
You should also know that Wichita is a pretty relaxed place and people are just not as career-focused and busy as in many other big cities and will have more time to chat with you.
Wichita is not a crowded city
Wichita is also not the most crowded city and you will find more than enough spaces in public where you can just sit down by yourself and will get the opportunity to be on your own during times you just want to think about your life and don’t want to get distracted by others.
Traffic jams are rather rare in Wichita
Since traffic is not a big problem in Wichita yet, traffic jams are rather rare and it is therefore pretty easy to get around by car in an efficient manner and you will also find more than enough parking lots.
Wichita has decent public transport near the city center
Another benefit of living in Wichita is that you will also find pretty decent public transport near the city center and if you live close enough to the center, you may not even need a car to get around which can not only be great for your finances but you can also do good for our environment at the same time.
Wichita is a bike-friendly city
While you could get around by car or public transport in an efficient manner, you could also just rely on your bicycle to get from A to B in an efficient manner since Wichita is a bike-friendly city and you may be even faster by bike for short distances compared to using those other means of transport.
Population in Wichita is growing
You should also keep in mind that population in Wichita has been growing over the past decade and this trend will most likely continue in the future.
Hence, this can be a sign that Wichita becomes increasingly popular by people from all over the US and by moving to Wichita right now, you may be able to buy property at a pretty cheap price before the city becomes even more popular and property prices may skyrocket in the long run.
Good future outlook for Wichita
Since Wichita is one of the biggest cities in Kansas and population is growing, you can also be pretty sure that the city will be an important place to live and work for many decades and overall future outlook for Wichita is pretty decent in general.
Wichita has decent tap water
You will also find pretty good tap water in Wichita and this can be great since you would not have to rely on bottled water from the store which can save you lots of time and money in the long run.
Decent medical infrastructure in Wichita
Another upside to moving to Wichita is that the city also has pretty good medical infrastructure and in case you get sick, you will find many good doctors and specialists who will be able to cure your disease in an efficient manner so that you can recover as quickly as possible.
Wichita has a decent art scene
Wichita can also be a great city to live in if you are interested in art or even an artist and want to hang out with many like-minded people and want to visit many museums and galleries since you will find more than enough stuff in this regard.
Wichita is a multicultural city
Another benefit of moving to Wichita is that it is a multicultural city and attracts many interesting people from foreign countries. Consequently, you can have many interesting conversations and can really grow in character in the long run.
People in Wichita are friendly and outgoing
You should also know that most people in Wichita are friendly and outgoing and they will also help you on various occasions of daily life and you will also feel comfortable hanging out with these people rather quickly.
You can make real friends rather soon
Since people in Wichita are not only friendly but are also honest and real, you can also make many really good friends in Wichita relatively quickly and some of those people will become an important part of your life for many years or even decades.
You are welcome from all over the world
Wichita is also a pretty tolerant place where people are welcome from all over the world.
Consequently, it doesn’t matter where you come from.
As long as you are tolerant and friendly and also know how to behave, you will be able to make many new social contacts rather quickly and don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated at all.
Decent supply of material goods in Wichita
Another advantage of moving to Wichita is that you will find everything you need in this city and overall supply of material goods is pretty decent which means that you will never have to leave this region to get stuff as would often be the case if you moved to smaller towns or villages instead.
Wichita is a dog-friendly city
Wichita is also a pretty pet-friendly place and you can therefore just take a walk with your dog and will meet many like-minded people and you can therefore socialize in a pretty natural and easy manner.
Real seasons make living in Wichita interesting
Since you will have warm summers and relatively cold winters, you can also experience real seasons in Wichita and may even be able to go skiing or do other winter sports while many other people living in Dallas or other warmer regions often don’t have this luxury.
Now that you know all the reasons for moving to Wichita, we should also talk about the drawbacks of living in Wichita so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Wichita or rather want to move to a different place instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Wichita
- Income level in Wichita is rather low
- Crime rates are far above national average
- Wichita is not the most glamorous city
- Nightlife in Wichita is not great
- You will miss great sports teams in Wichita
- Not much going on in Wichita
- You may get bored with living in Wichita sooner or later
- Air quality in Wichita is rather poor
- You have to deal with cold Winters in Wichita
- Hard to find really good education in Wichita
- Landscape is not as awesome as in many other regions
- Lack of fancy shopping opportunities in Wichita
- You may miss the feeling of big city life
- Wichita may not be the best place to live for young people
Income level in Wichita is rather low
One problem with living in Wichita is that income levels are pretty low and the median household income is far below national average.
In turn, this means that you will have a much harder time making really good money compared to people living in New York City or other regions where average incomes are much higher.
Crime rates are far above national average
Another reason not to move to Wichita is that crime rates are above national average and many people just don’t feel safe in this region anymore.
Consequently, moving to Wichita may not be the best idea for you in case you want to let your kids grow up in the safest environment possible.
Wichita is not the most glamorous city
You should also know that Wichita is not the most glamorous city and if you want to have action all day and night long and also want to be at the center of the universe, there are many other more exciting cities which you can pick instead of moving to Wichita.
Nightlife in Wichita is not great
Another downside to moving to Wichita is that although you will find some decent bars to hang out after work, you will still not have the same selection of great bars and clubs as in NYC or other major cities and if you are a party person, you may get bored with nightlife in Wichita sooner or later.
You will miss great sports teams in Wichita
Moving to Wichita may also not be the best idea in case you are a sports fan and want to watch those games on a regular basis since there are not many great sports teams in Wichita and you should rather move to Chicago or other regions where professional sports events play a much bigger role.
Not much going on in Wichita
In general, Wichita is not the most exciting place to live in and compared to other big cities, you will also not have many leisure activities to choose from and may run out of ideas in this regard sooner or later.
You may get bored with living in Wichita sooner or later
Since Wichita is not the most exciting city, you may also get bored with living in Wichita in the long run and may want to move again to a more interesting city pretty soon.
Air quality in Wichita is rather poor
Another disadvantage of living in Wichita is that air quality is pretty poor and this may not only lower your overall quality of life but may also cause serious health problems in the long run.
You have to deal with cold Winters in Wichita
If you are a person who loves the heat and doesn’t want to deal with cold winters, you may also get disappointed with your life in Wichita and may rather want to move to El Paso or other warmer regions instead.
Hard to find really good education in Wichita
While you will find some decent schools and colleges in Wichita, you should not expect to have world-class education in this region and you want to have the best education possible, you should rather move to Boston or other renowned cities.
Landscape is not as awesome as in many other regions
You should also know that landscape in Wichita is not as beautiful as people living in Oakland and many other regions and you may therefore have a rather hard time enjoying your time in nature in the Wichita region.
Lack of fancy shopping opportunities in Wichita
If you are a shopping queen, you may also get pretty disappointed with your life in Wichita since the number of fancy shopping options will be rather limited.
You may miss the feeling of big city life
You should also not expect the same feeling of big city life in Wichita as you might be used to from NYC or other big metropolitan areas and if you have too high expectations in this regard, you may get frustrated pretty soon.
Wichita may not be the best place to live for young people
Since there are not many things going on in Wichita, it may also not be the best place to live in for young people and you may rather want to move to more interesting places to really enjoy your youth.

Top 10 Moving To Wichita Pros & Cons – Summary List
Living in Wichita Pros | Living in Wichita Cons |
---|---|
Living costs in Wichita are pretty low | Crime rates in Wichita are pretty high |
Housing shortage is not a big problem yet | Low income level in Wichita |
Property prices are quite low in Wichita | Wichita is not the most popular city |
Financial pressure is rather limited | Nightlife in Wichita is not great |
Wichita becomes increasingly popular | Hard to find really good schools in Wichita |
Easy to get around by car | You have to deal with pretty cold winters |
Wichita is a bike-friendly city | Not many great shopping options in Wichita |
Wichita has a decent art scene | Hard to find great sports teams |
Wichita is a tolerant city | Not much entertainment in Wichita |
People are friendly and outgoing | You may get bored with living in Wichita |
Is Wichita A Good Place To Live?
Moving to Wichita can make quite a lot of sense since living and housing costs are pretty low while you can still enjoy the comfort that comes along with living in a big city. However, you should also know that crime rates are pretty high and that you may get bored with living in Wichita in the long run since there is just not much going on.
Alternative Cities To Live In
If you don’t want to move to Wichita anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:
Advantages and disadvantages of living in Minneapolis
Advantages and disadvantages of living in Tulsa
Advantages and disadvantages of living in Memphis
Sources
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/wichitacitykansas

About the author
This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.
My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.
Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.
In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.