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Popularly known as "America's Heartland", Kansas was first inhabited by the Kansa Indian tribe and later settled by American pioneers.

Following the Civil War, waves of immigrants entered the state turning the Kansas prairie into rich and fertile farmland. Today, Kansas remains an economic powerhouse in agriculture and leads the nation in wheat and sunflower production.

WIth cost of living hovering around 20% lower than the national average, Kansas boasts major US employers including Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems and Cessna, all located in Wichita. Other major industries include oil & gas production (the state ranks 8th in U.S. natural gas production) with oil wells famously dotting the flat Kansas landscape.

Kansas quality-of-life statistics

Demographics : (Kansas Census Data)
Major cities: Topeka (capital), Wichita, Kansas City, Manhattan
Population : 2,764,075
White : 89.4%
Black, African American : 5.9%
Hispanic : 8.3%
High school graduates : 86%
Bachelor's degree or higher : 25.8%
Average household income: $41,664

Cost of Living: Kansas's cost of living is 21.35% lower than the U.S. average.

Property Taxes : Kansas Tax Climate - Considerably higher than the U.S. average, Kansas ranks 14th highest nationally.

Personal income taxes: Kansas has three state income tax rates: 3.5 percent, 6.25 percent and 6.45 percent.  The state sales tax in Kansas is 6.3%. Various cities and counties in Kansas have an additional local sales tax.

Housing & Real Estate Overview : also see Zillow - Kansas Real Estate
Home ownership rate : 69.2%
Average home price: $130,100
Average travel time to work : 19 minutes

Schools : Recently making headlines regarding the status of creationism and evolution in the Kansas public school system, the state has sparked a great deal of legal and religious debate nationally on the subject. Also see Kansas State Department of Education

Weather : Like most of the Midwest, Kansas is traditionally prone to tornadoes in the spring and summer when weather conditions can be stormy and unpredictable. Winters are cold in the northwest and generally cool to mild in the southwest.

Crime : see Kansas Bureau of Investigation

also see -> Kansas Taxes | Kansas Eviction Laws | Kansas Tourism

Kansas Beaches | Christmas in Kansas

Kansas Kids Party Locations

More about moving to Kansas around the Web:

Sperling's Best Places - Kansas - Find cost of living, demographics, crime data, housing and related facts for hundreds of towns & cities throughout Kansas.

Wichita Chamber of Commerce - Move to Wichita - One-stop browsing for information on metro Wichita communities, online real estate search, cost of living data, health care and childcare resources, retirement guide, transportation services, houses of worship, related video presentation.

Living in Topeka - Information on quality of life, jobs & employment, cost of living, demographics, taxes, major employers, maps, resources, and other facts & information for those considering a move to Topeka, with related photo gallery.

Kansas real estate, apartments & job classifieds:

Topeka : Capital-Journal
Wichita : Eagle
Kansas City : Star
Manhattan : Mercury