Wichita, KS short-term rental market report (2026)
Sedgwick County, Kansas. Rules, revenue, home values, demand, climate, reach and risk, each figure with its source.
- RulesModerate (3/5)
- 4-BR typical value$300K
- FEMA riskRelatively High
- Demand drivers within 50 mi1
- People within 300 mi13.9 million
- ClimateFour-season
Everything STR HUB holds on Wichita, KS in one place, in the order an investor needs it: whether you can operate, what the numbers are, why and when people come, who can reach it, and what could go wrong.
Every figure comes from a named dataset listed under Sources and method, dated September 21, 2026. Where we do not hold a figure, that part of the report is left out rather than estimated. The Opportunity Score here is partial: it was calculated without revenue data, with the cash-flow component assumed to be below average, so it can understate the market.
Can you operate in Wichita?
| Rule | What we hold on file |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | City of Wichita / Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department |
| Permit or licence | Annual Short-Term Rental License through the city; non-owner-occupied units must first obtain an Administrative Permit through the Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department before licensing. |
| Permit fee | $225 per unit, per year; a separate license is required for each dwelling unit or structure. |
| Owner occupancy | Not required overall, but owner-occupied units get a simpler licensing path; 'owner-occupied' requires the owner to reside on the premises AND be present during the rental period. Non-owner-occupied units require the additional Administrative Permit. |
| Occupancy limit | 2 adults per bedroom, plus 2 additional adults per unit (excluding studios/efficiencies). |
| Lodging and sales taxes | 6.5% Kansas state sales tax + local Transient Guest Tax (varies by jurisdiction). |
| Permit transfers on sale | Not transferable — the license expires one year from issuance and is described as non-transferable. |
Rules for Wichita last verified September 20, 2026. Rules change, and a city rating does not cover HOA or deed restrictions. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before you buy or list.
Which way the rules are moving
Stable. The rules we hold report no recent or pending change.
Wichita's current STR licensing framework took effect September 22, 2023, following City Council approval that September.
Classified from the regulation text we publish; a direction is only kept when the sentence it rests on appears word for word in that text.
The numbers
We have not verified revenue figures for this market yet.
Home values in Sedgwick County
Zillow Home Value Index: county-wide typical values for Sedgwick County, not list prices. A specific property can sit well above or below them.
What it costs to own
Screening figures, not a bill or a quote. The tax rate is a county-wide median for owner-occupied homes (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022); second homes and rentals are often taxed more heavily, and a purchase usually resets the assessed value. Expected annual loss is from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Housing market momentum
County-level, for-sale housing market: it says nothing directly about STR bookings. A relative ranking among tracked markets, not a forecast. Sources: Realtor.com Economic Research, U.S. Census Bureau, Zillow Home Value Index.
Why people come
One demand driver sits within 50 miles of Wichita. Ordered by published attendance. Attendance appears only where a source publishes it.
Attractions
- Sedgwick County Zoo
- When
- Year-round; April to October busiest.
- Attendance
- 654,494 (Wikipedia (Sedgwick County Zoo infobox): 654,494 annual visitors (2009).)
- STR angle
- Kansas's most-visited outdoor family attraction, mainly a regional day trip. A supporting reason for Wichita stays alongside aviation-industry business travel and youth sports.
When they come
Four-season climate: comfortable months are spread across the year without one dominant season. 5 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F. Warmest month: July (average high 90°F). Coldest: February (average low 24°F).
- Jan45°26°Cold
- Feb45°24°Cold
- Mar58°38°Cool
- Apr69°46°Comfortable
- May75°57°Comfortable
- Jun87°68°Comfortable
- Jul90°72°Hot
- Aug90°72°Hot
- Sep85°66°Comfortable
- Oct69°50°Comfortable
- Nov56°38°Cool
- Dec49°31°Cool
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (°F) | 45 | 45 | 58 | 69 | 75 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 85 | 69 | 56 | 49 |
| Average low (°F) | 26 | 24 | 38 | 46 | 57 | 68 | 72 | 72 | 66 | 50 | 38 | 31 |
| Precipitation (in) | 1.5 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 8.1 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
| Snowfall (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Sunshine (hours a day) | 7.1 | 7.9 | 8.6 | 10.3 | 9.3 | 12.5 | 12.7 | 11.9 | 10.7 | 9.0 | 8.1 | 7.2 |
This is climate and events, not booking data. Monthly normals are 2019-2023 averages from the Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (ERA5 reanalysis) at the market pin. We do not hold monthly occupancy or rate data for this market.
Who can reach it
Largest counties within 150 miles
| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma County, OK | 795,822 |
| Tulsa County, OK | 668,923 |
| Sedgwick County, KS | 522,700 |
County populations (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022) summed for every county whose centre lies within each straight-line radius. Straight lines are shorter than roads, so read these as generous upper bounds, not drive-time counts.
What could go wrong
| Hazard | FEMA rating | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Very High | 99.3 |
| Hail | Relatively High | 99.0 |
| Winter weather | Very High | 97.3 |
| River flooding | Relatively High | 96.1 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 94.4 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 75.2 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 42.7 |
This is a county-level index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination. A coastal or wildfire-fringe rental can carry far more exposure than its county average suggests. FEMA does not model coastal flooding for this county, which is not the same as zero risk. Get property-level flood, wind and wildfire quotes before you buy.
Market context
Housing and jobs in Sedgwick County
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018-2022. Vacation-home share is housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. All three describe the whole county, not one town or neighbourhood.
What is within 15 km of the Wichita pin
Counts of features mapped in OpenStreetMap within 15 km of the market pin. A fixed radius favours dense metros, and map coverage varies by area.
Similar markets
The 4 tracked markets whose numbers sit closest to Wichita's. Each links to its own report.
Closest by normalised distance across the figures both markets hold (typical 4BR value, revenue, occupancy, regulation rating, vacation-home share, tourism job share, 4+ bedroom share, amenity score, population within 300 miles, comfortable months and FEMA risk score). At most 2 of the 4 come from Kansas, so the list is not just the neighbours. Similar numbers do not mean similar rules: check each market's regulation section.
See Wichita on the map
Open Wichita on the National STR Map to see it against its neighbours, switch overlays and run the deal calculator on your own assumptions.
Wichita STR questions, answered from the data
Is Airbnb legal in Wichita?
STR HUB rates Wichita's short-term rental rules 3/5 (Moderate) on a scale from 1 (relaxed) to 5 (very strict). That rating was derived from the regulation text we hold and has not yet been reviewed by a person. Permit rule on file: Annual Short-Term Rental License through the city; non-owner-occupied units must first obtain an Administrative Permit through the Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department before licensing. Rules change, so confirm current requirements with the local jurisdiction before you buy or list.
How much does a 4-bedroom home cost in Wichita?
The typical 4-bedroom home in Sedgwick County is valued at $300,258 (Zillow Home Value Index), and the typical home of any size at $225,625, with all-home values up 2.9% over the past year. These are county-wide typical values, not list prices.
What brings visitors to Wichita?
One demand driver sits within 50 miles of Wichita: Sedgwick County Zoo (654,494 published attendance). Attendance is shown only where a source publishes it, and each driver's source is linked in the report.
What natural hazards affect Wichita?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sedgwick County "Relatively High" overall, with a score of 96.6 out of 100 (a national percentile). The highest-scoring hazards we track there are tornado and hail. It is a county-wide index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination.
When is the weather best in Wichita?
5 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F (April, May, June, September and October). Four-season climate: comfortable months are spread across the year without one dominant season. These are 2019-2023 climate normals, not booking data.
Sources and method
- Regulation summary and strictness rating: STR Agent HUB regulation research (official source: wichita.gov).
- Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), county level. Data provided by Zillow Group.
- Housing, employment and population figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2018-2022.
- Natural hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, county level.
- Amenity counts: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- Climate normals: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (CC BY 4.0), 2019-2023 averages.
- Demand drivers: each entry links its own published source in the list above.
Figures come from the STR HUB national dataset dated September 21, 2026 and this page is regenerated whenever that dataset is rebuilt. County-level figures describe Sedgwick County as a whole, not one street or neighbourhood. The Opportunity Score (0-100) is a screening heuristic that weighs revenue (35%), regulatory climate (25%), tourism employment (15%), nearby amenities (15%) and large-home supply (10%) relative to the other tracked markets.
Confirm before you act. Short-term rental rules change. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction, and work with a licensed local agent who knows which properties can legally operate. This report is screening data, not investment, legal or tax advice.
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