Kansas to New York Moving Guide
Updated June 10, 2025

Planning a 1,488 mile interstate move from Kansas to New York? This moving guide will help you compare living in Kansas vs New York across 7 important categories. Compare the pros & cons (like severe tornado risk vs robust public transport), food & health (like Barbecue ribs vs Bagels), real estate & housing (ranch vs high-rise), weather & wardrobe, cost of living & taxes (it's more expensive in New York), politics & religion, and education.
Key Takeaways:
- Say goodbye to Barbecue ribs and Smoked brisket, but get your taste buds ready for Bagels & Pastrami on rye
- New York housing costs are 106% more expensive than they are in Kansas
- Rent in New York is 127.73% more expensive than in Kansas
- Moving from Kansas to New York will cost on average between $2,000 - $7,500
- Our top recommended Kansas to New York movers is JP Urban Moving
Kansas to New York Moving Guide
Pros and Cons of Moving from Kansas to New York
- Severe tornado risk
- Limited cultural events
- Mostly flat landscape
- Robust public transport
- Diverse cultural scene
- Varied urban landscapes
- High living expenses
- Fast-paced lifestyle
- Less personal space
- Low cost of living
- Slower pace of life
- Tight-knit communities
Pros of moving from Kansas to New York
- Say goodbye to severe tornado risk and hello to robust public transport
- Look forward to moving away from limited cultural events and moving to New York with a diverse cultural scene
- Swap the mostly flat landscape of Kansas for varied urban landscapes in New York
Cons of moving from Kansas to New York
- Unfortunately, you'll be moving away from the low cost of living in Kansas to live with high living expenses in New York
- You'll lose out on the pro of a slower pace of life and have to settle with the con of a fast-paced lifestyle
- Time to bid farewell to tight-knit communities and get used to less personal space in New York
Kansas vs. New York: Comparing the Local Foodie Scene
Comparison | Kansas | New York |
---|---|---|
Most iconic local food item | Barbecue ribs | Bagels |
Most popular meat dish | Smoked brisket | Pastrami on rye |
Most popular street food item | Wheat State Pizza | Hot dogs |
Most popular vegan food | Vegan BBQ | Vegan slices (pizza) |
Top 3 iconic restaurants that summarize the state |
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Fitness/Health Conscientiousness | πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ | πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ |
Abundance of Food Trucks | ππππππππππ | ππππππππππ |
Foodie Scene | π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄ | π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄ |
Vegan Friendly | π±π±π±π±π±π±π±π±π±π± | π±π±π±π±π±π±π±π±π±π± |
If you're moving from Kansas to New York, you will be trading the iconic barbecue ribs of Kansas for the equally delicious bagels of New York. And while the locals in Kansas rave about their flavorful smoked brisket and sumptuous Wheat State pizza, New York residents know they have tasty pastrami on rye and hot dogs to savor. While the vegan transplants might be saying goodbye to the vegan BBQ they've grown to love, they can get ready for the vegan slices (pizza) of New York. In the days before your move, make sure you get one final trip to iconic Kansas eateries like Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Q39, and The Anchor. After the boxes are unpacked in New York, don't wait too long before making your way to New York's acclaimed eateries like Katz's Delicatessen, Le Bernardin, and Shake Shack.
When comparing lifestyles, New York shows a greater emphasis on fitness and health consciousness than Kansas. Food truck fans will discover a greater selection in New York compared to what you are used to in Kansas. Also, the overall foodie scene is more bustling in New York.
Real Estate & Lifestyle Differences between Kansas and New York
Comparison | Kansas | New York |
---|---|---|
Typical Architecture Style | Ranch | High-rise |
Walkability | ππππππππππ | ππππππππππ |
Bikeability | π²π²π²π²π²π²π²π²π²π² | π²π²π²π²π²π²π²π²π²π² |
Urban Lifestyle | ποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈ | ποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈ |
Most popular items mentioned in real estate listing | Spacious yards, garages | Doorman, rooftop access |
- The Ranch architecture that Kansas is known for will be replaced with the High-rise architecture typical of New York.
- Compared to Kansas's real estate listings that commonly reference spacious yards and garages, New York real estate listings often highlight features like doormen and rooftop access.
- Make sure you unpack those walking shoes. New York is more walkable than Kansas.
- Make sure the movers take care of your bike. New York is more bike-friendly than Kansas.
- New York has more of an urban feel than Kansas.
- New York housing costs are 106% more expensive than they are in Kansas, with a median home price of $460,812 compared to Kansasβs $223,883.
- Over the prior 5 years, home prices in New York have increased 36% compared to a 49% increase in Kansas.
- Rent in New York is 127.73% more expensive than in Kansas.
Your Move, Your Forecast: Key Weather Differences between Kansas and New York
Comparison | Kansas | New York |
---|---|---|
Days of Sunshine per Year | βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ | βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ |
Avg. Annual Humidity | π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦ | π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦ |
Avg. UV Index | πΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈ | πΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈ |
Natural Disasters | Tornadoes, Storms | Hurricanes, Blizzards |
Air Quality | Good | Moderate |
Average Summer High/Low (Β°F) | 89Β°F/68Β°F | 82Β°F/62Β°F |
Average Winter High/Low (Β°F) | 42Β°F/20Β°F | 38Β°F/26Β°F |
Annual Rainfall (Inches) | 28 | 45 |
Annual Snowfall (Inches) | 18 | 25 |
- The shades won't be used as much for your move from Kansas to New York. New York gets 3% fewer sunshine days than Kansas.
- New York has higher humidity and a lower average UV index compared to Kansas.
- Say goodbye to the possible tornadoes and storms in Kansas, but be on the lookout for potential hurricanes and blizzards in New York.
- Get ready for colder summers. The average summer high temperature in New York is 7 degrees colder than Kansas.
- The average winter lows in New York are 6 degrees warmer than those in Kansas.
- Your umbrella might be more overworked in New York. New York receives 17 more inches of rain compared to Kansas.
Financial & Community Snapshot: Kansas and New York
Comparison | Kansas | New York |
---|---|---|
Avg. Household Income | $68,925 | $79,557 |
Cost of Living Index | 91.8 | 102.8 |
State Income Tax | 5.70% | 8.82% |
Avg. Property Tax | 1.37% | 1.68% |
Avg. Sales Tax | 8.68% | 8.52% |
Top 3 Industries | Agriculture, Manufacturing, Energy | Finance, Technology, Healthcare |
Affluence | Moderate | High |
Poverty | Medium | Low |
Homelessness | Low | High |
- When it comes to your monthly paycheck, residents in New York tend to earn about 15% more than in Kansas
- The COLI in New York is 12% higher than what you are used to living in Kansas
- The state income tax in NY is 8.82% compared to 5.70% in KS
- The affluence in New York is high compared to moderate in Kansas
- The poverty level is low in New York compared to medium in Kansas
- In terms of homelessness, it is low in Kansas and high in New York
Political and Religious Climate in Kansas vs. New York
Comparison | Kansas | New York |
---|---|---|
Political Make-up | Traditionally Republican | Strongly Democratic |
Local Politics | Conservative in rural areas | Liberal, especially in urban areas |
Religion | Christian majority, with Protestant and Catholic communities | Diverse religious landscape, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and others |
- Kansas tends to lean traditionally Republican in its political climate
- New York, on the other hand, is often described as strongly Democratic
- New York's religious environment can be described as a diverse religious landscape, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and others
- Kansas' residents' religious practices can be generally categorized as a Christian majority, with Protestant and Catholic communities
Education Guide When Moving from Kansas to New York
Comparison | Kansas | New York |
---|---|---|
Where most Seniors go to college (top 3) | University of Kansas Kansas State University Wichita State University | Columbia University New York University Cornell University |
Top 3 Elementary Schools | Corinth Elementary School (Prairie Village) Meadowbrook Elementary (Prairie Village) Briarwood Elementary (Overland Park) | PS 77 Lower Lab School (New York) Success Academy Charter School-Bronx 1 (Bronx) Baccalaureate School for Global Education (Queens) |
Top 3 Middle Schools | Leawood Middle School (Leawood) Indian Hills Middle School (Prairie Village) Overland Trail Middle School (Overland Park) | Lab Middle School for Collaborative Studies (New York) New York City Lab Middle School for Collaborative Studies (Manhattan) Success Academy Charter School-Bronx 1 (Bronx) |
Top 3 High Schools | Blue Valley North High School (Overland Park) Blue Valley West High School (Overland Park) Shawnee Mission East High School (Prairie Village) | Stuyvesant High School (Manhattan) Bronx High School of Science (Bronx) Brooklyn Technical High School (Brooklyn) |
Top 3 private high schools | Pembroke Hill School (Kansas City) The Independent School (Wichita) St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Overland Park) | Horace Mann School (Bronx) Trinity School (New York) Collegiate School (New York) |
Top 3 private K-12 schools | Wichita Collegiate School (Wichita) Topeka Collegiate School (Topeka) Cair Paravel Latin School (Topeka) | Collegiate School (New York) Trinity School (New York) Horace Mann School (Bronx) |
Top 3 School Districts | Blue Valley School District Shawnee Mission School District Olathe District Schools | Scarsdale Union Free School District Jericho Union Free School District Syosset Central School District |
How Much Do Kansas to New York Movers Cost?
Moving 1,488 miles from Kansas to New York will typically cost between $3,000 and $7,500 to hire full service movers. See the chart below for a detailed breakdown by home size.
- Expected Range: $3,000 - $7,500
- Expected Time To Complete: 2-7 days
- Most Affordable Recommended Movers: Magical Moving & Storage
HOME SIZE | MOVING COST | VOLUME OF PACKED ITEMS (FT3) | $/FT3 |
---|---|---|---|
Studio | $2,046 | 300 ft3 | $6.82 |
1 Bedroom | $3,047 | 450 ft3 | $6.77 |
2 Bedrooms | $5,040 | 750 ft3 | $6.72 |
3 Bedrooms | $7,337 | 1100 ft3 | $6.67 |
4 Bedrooms | $10,592 | 1600 ft3 | $6.62 |
5+ Bedrooms | $11,826 | 1800 ft3 | $6.57 |
Top Kansas to New York Movers
Read our in-depth analysis of the best Kansas to New York movers with detailed rankings, cost breakdowns, and reviews.