Wichita's affordability drive boosts population growth and renter competition
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 11
Wichita's affordability drive boosts population growth and renter competition
10 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 11
Sedgwick County added 15,000 residents in five years to 528,000, while average apartment rent is about $950, roughly 45% below the US average.
City leaders are targeting middle-income workers in healthcare, energy and manufacturing, while developers add duplexes and officials rezone land to keep housing within reach.
The strategy aims to offset years of flat agriculture and manufacturing and aviation job losses, as Wichita builds a downtown healthcare corridor and converts surrounding farmland into housing.
As Wichita attracts thousands with its affordability, can it avoid becoming the next overpriced and overcrowded boomtown?
With its focus on healthcare and aviation, is Wichita building a truly resilient economy or just swapping one industry dependency for another?