Kansas · 329th largest metro area

Buying a home in Lawrence, Kansas

In Lawrence, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $292,700, Douglas County's effective property tax rate is 1.22%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $3,068 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,091 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Lawrence home costs, fact by fact

About Lawrence

Lawrence, Kansas is the first-named place in the Lawrence, KS metro area, ranked 329th in the country. Only 43.6% of its homes are owner-occupied. Douglas County's effective property tax rate (median tax as a share of home value) is 1.22%, and HUD's two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,272.

Reading the Lawrence figures

Lawrence's estimated median of $292,700 is higher than the Kansas statewide figure of $252,600, though below Overland Park's $413,600 and Olathe's $364,700. Wichita reports $190,800, Kansas City reports $167,400, and Topeka falls to $144,200, all far lower. These are owners' estimates, not sale prices, and only a few Kansas cities are covered here, so the comparison is partial.

The most distinctive figure is tenure: only 43.6% of homes in Lawrence are owner-occupied, against 60.5% in Overland Park, 74.8% in Olathe and 59% in Topeka. Renters are therefore the larger group. Their median rent is $1,091 a month, above Wichita's $975 and Topeka's $979, while HUD's benchmark for the Lawrence area is $1,272.

Douglas County's levy of 1.22%, assessed against $309,400, gives a median annual tax of $3,776. Only 898 mortgages were recorded in 2025, with lenders charging a middle figure of $3,068, and the central spread ran from $2,378 to $5,021, a tight band beside most counties covered by this lot of cities. A buyer comparing the county tax with the loan costs will find the yearly tax is the larger recurring item.

Calculate for Kansas

If you buy

Kansas state transfer tax

Kansas has no real estate transfer tax. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$252,600
State transfer tax$0
Share of the price—

Default price: the Kansas median value of owner-occupied homes, $252,600 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: No tax is calculated on the price. Recording fees are per page. Who pays: No tax to pay. No statute read assigns the recording fees to buyer or seller; the contract and closing statement decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, the tax on the mortgage, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Kansas transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Kansas state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Lawrence

How much is property tax in Lawrence?

Homeowners in Douglas County pay a median $3,776 a year in property tax, 1.22% of the county median home value of $309,400 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Lawrence?

Home-purchase mortgages in Douglas County carried median total loan costs of $3,068 in 2025; half of the 898 loans fell between $2,378 and $5,021 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Lawrence?

No Kansas transfer tax was found in the statutes and county fee schedule read. The old mortgage registration tax of 0.26% of the loan was repealed in 2019, and what remains is a recording fee of $21 for the first page and $17 for each added page in Johnson County.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lawrence?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Lawrence ($292,700) equals 22.4 years of the median gross rent ($1,091 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Kansas rules that apply in Lawrence

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Sources

Kansas · All states · Federal guides