Department of Numbers

Shawnee County Kansas Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Shawnee County KS was $831 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Shawnee County was $855 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 Shawnee County median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

Data is also available below for Shawnee County rental vacancy rates, Shawnee County rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Shawnee County.

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Shawnee County Kansas (2019 dollars)2

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US Median Gross Rent $1,097 +1.86% +6.82%
Kansas Median Gross Rent $862 +0.82% +4.36%
Shawnee County KS Median Gross Rent $831 -3.15% +8.63%

Shawnee County KS Real Gross Rent Trends

Median gross rent for Shawnee County peaked in real terms in 2018 at $858 and is now $27 (3.15%) lower. Average gross rent for Shawnee County peaked in real terms in 2018 at $881 and is now $26 (2.95%) lower.

Real Gross Rent: Shawnee County KS Median, Shawnee County KS Average, Kansas Median, US Median

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Shawnee County

Date US
Median
Kansas
Median
Shawnee County KS
Median
Shawnee County KS
Average
2019 $1,097 $862 $831 $855
2018 $1,077 $855 $858 $881
2017 $1,043 $840 $806 $811
2016 $1,027 $826 $765 $786
2015 $1,017 $830 $812 $879
2014 $986 $816 $798 $832
2013 $953 $785 $732 $759
2012 $940 $756 $748 $768
2011 $941 $766 $760 $780
2010 $955 $762 $710 $716
2009 $960 $765 $745 $762

more history ...

Shawnee County Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate is the fraction of homes for rent that are not occupied.3 In 2019 the rental vacancy rate for Shawnee County Kansas was 12.53% according to Census ACS data.

Rental Vacancy Rate in Shawnee County Kansas

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 5.97% -0.18% +0.08%
Kansas 7.83% -0.11% -0.47%
Shawnee County KS 12.53%

Trends in Shawnee County KS Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate in Shawnee County peaked in 2014 at 16.49%. Since then it has fallen by 3.96% to 12.53%. Data records for this series originated in 2005.

Rental Vacancy Rate: Shawnee County KS, Kansas, US

Rental vacancy rate in Kansas

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Shawnee County

Date US Kansas Shawnee County KS
2019 5.97% 7.83% 12.53%
2018 6.15% 7.94%
2017 6.18% 7.49% 8.22%
2016 5.89% 8.30%
2015 5.85% 7.74%
2014 6.32% 8.45% 16.49%
2013 6.49% 6.54% 8.25%
2012 6.77% 6.92% 10.34%
2011 7.40% 8.09% 9.77%
2010 8.17% 7.42% 4.93%
2009 8.43% 7.41% 5.65%

more history ...

Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Shawnee County, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Shawnee County, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 16.78% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Shawnee County Kansas Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 20.03% -0.47% -0.40%
Kansas 16.66% -0.65% -0.57%
Shawnee County KS 16.78% -2.64% +1.03%

Trends in Shawnee County KS Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Shawnee County household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2018 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 19.42%. Since then it has fallen by 2.64% to 16.78%.

Fraction of Income towards Rent: Shawnee County KS, Kansas, US

Percent of median household income going towards median monthly gross rent in Shawnee County Kansas

Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Shawnee County Kansas

Date US Kansas Shawnee County KS
2019 20.03% 16.66% 16.78%
2018 20.50% 17.31% 19.42%
2017 20.13% 17.33% 16.44%
2016 20.43% 17.23% 15.75%
2015 20.63% 17.41% 17.96%
2014 20.89% 17.67% 16.95%
2013 20.78% 17.54% 16.63%
2012 20.65% 16.98% 17.58%
2011 20.70% 17.38% 19.24%
2010 20.50% 16.96% 17.15%
2009 20.12% 16.84% 17.08%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Shawnee County Kansas

You can calculate the renter fraction in Shawnee County in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in Shawnee County as a fraction of total Shawnee County households. In 2019 33.03% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Shawnee County Fraction of Renters by Household Units

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 35.89% -0.16% -0.99%
Kansas 33.54% -0.30% -0.77%
Shawnee County KS 33.03% -2.40% -4.26%

Trends in the Shawnee County KS Renter Fraction

The Shawnee County household renter fraction peaked in in 2016 at 37.29% and is now 4.26% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.

Fraction of Renting Households: Shawnee County KS, Kansas, US

Fraction of renters in Shawnee County

History of Shawnee County Renter Fraction

Date US Kansas Shawnee County KS
2019 35.89% 33.54% 33.03%
2018 36.05% 33.84% 35.43%
2017 36.13% 34.14% 35.77%
2016 36.88% 34.31% 37.29%
2015 36.97% 33.58% 37.00%
2014 36.90% 33.37% 33.39%
2013 36.50% 33.94% 37.27%
2012 36.09% 33.64% 37.00%
2011 35.42% 32.19% 35.07%
2010 34.65% 31.93% 36.86%
2009 34.13% 32.20% 34.20%

more history ...

1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability.

2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series.

3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied.