Atchison, KS Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Atchison, KS metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Atchison, KS Market Analysis
Market Overview
Atchison, KS, earns a PropertyIQ Score of 85 out of 100, positioning it as a relatively strong market by the index’s standards. The score’s top drivers include 12-month home value momentum of 13.98 percent, 3-month home value momentum of 0.10 percent, median days on market of 75 days, and a share of listings with a price cut of 14.3 percent. That combination suggests a market that has seen meaningful annual price growth and fairly orderly selling conditions, though the very modest 3-month momentum points to a recent cooling from that stronger pace.
Compared with Kansas state averages, Atchison presents a mixed profile. The median home value of $189,627 is well below the state average of $249,603, roughly 24 percent lower, which may signal relative affordability for buyers. However, the median household income of $61,112 is also below the state average of $74,275, meaning local incomes are lower as well. The unemployment rate matches the state average at 3.8 percent. Notably, the rent index of $1,233 is higher than the state average of $1,060, indicating that rental costs in Atchison are not discounted even though for-sale home values are.
Inventory conditions also shape the picture. There are 39 homes for sale, and the median days on market is 75 days. A price cut is present on 14.3 percent of listings, which is not an especially high share and suggests sellers are not broadly slashing prices. Population growth data is not available, so the market’s longer-term demand trend cannot be fully assessed from the provided figures.
Key Trends
One clear trend is cooling price momentum after a strong 12-month period. The 12-month home value momentum of 13.98 percent is a top score driver, but the 3-month momentum of 0.10 percent and the reported year-over-year home value change of negative one dollar are effectively flat. This pattern points to a market that absorbed a period of appreciation and has recently leveled off rather than continuing to accelerate.
A second trend is limited inventory and moderate selling time. With only 39 homes for sale and a median of 75 days on market, choices for buyers are relatively thin. The share of listings with a price cut, 14.3 percent, is low enough to suggest that motivated discounting is not dominating the market, but the 75-day median indicates that sales are not instantaneous either.
A third trend is a split between for-sale affordability and rental cost. The median home value in Atchison is about 24 percent below the state average, which makes the ownership market look relatively affordable at the state level. At the same time, the rent index of $1,233 exceeds the state average of $1,060 by $173, meaning renters may not experience the same discount. That divergence may reflect local rental demand or limited rental supply.
A fourth trend is the income gap. The median household income of $61,112 is about 18 percent below the state benchmark of $74,275. While lower home values help offset lower incomes, the gap means buyers in Atchison may still face affordability constraints when measured against local earnings, especially if interest rates or other costs rise.
Who Is This Market For
This market may be well suited to first-time buyers and budget-conscious owner-occupants. A median home value of $189,627 is considerably below the Kansas state average of $249,603, and that lower entry point could make homeownership more accessible for households earning around the local median income of $61,112. The high PropertyIQ Score of 85 also suggests generally healthy market conditions, which can be reassuring for buyers looking for stability rather than speculation.
Atchison may also appeal to rental property investors. The rent index of $1,233 is higher than the state average of $1,060, while the median home value is lower than the state average. That combination can create a favorable rent-to-price relationship for investors seeking cash flow and lower acquisition costs. The relatively modest price-cut share of 14.3 percent and limited inventory of 39 homes may mean investors need to act quickly on available listings.
The market may be less suited to buyers who need a large selection or who expect rapid short-term appreciation. With only 39 homes for sale and 3-month home value momentum of just 0.10 percent, this is not a market showing fast recent price gains or abundant listing choices. Move-up buyers may find limited options, though the lower price point can still support building equity.
Outlook
The data supports a near-term outlook of stabilization rather than sharp acceleration or decline. The 12-month home value momentum of 13.98 percent shows the market has been strong over the past year, but the 3-month momentum of 0.10 percent and the year-over-year home value change of negative one dollar indicate that prices have flattened. With only 39 homes for sale, a median of 75 days on market, and a 14.3 percent share of listings with a price cut, seller pressure appears contained but not absent. The rent index of $1,233 may continue to make the market attractive to investors, while the lower median home value compared with the state average could keep ownership demand steady. Because population growth data is not available, the outlook is limited in its ability to account for future household formation or migration-driven demand.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated October 5, 2026.
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Atchison, KS market data
Atchison, KS Housing Market Overview
Atchison, KS's median home value is $190K, up 14.0% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 75 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 85 sits well above the state average of 50, marking a market positioned to outperform its state over the next three years.
The Atchison, KS metropolitan area represents a distinct segment of KS's housing landscape. The PropertyIQ Score combines price momentum — how Zillow home values have trended over the past 3 and 12 months — with market-flow signals from Realtor.com that track how fast homes sell and how often sellers cut prices. The result is a single measure of how this market is positioned to outperform or lag its state over the next three years.
Midwestern housing markets are characterized by affordability and economic diversification. From manufacturing hubs undergoing tech-sector transitions to university towns with stable demand, the region offers value-oriented opportunities with lower entry costs than coastal markets. Within the Midwest, Atchison, KS's PropertyIQ Score of 85 ranks among the Midwest's stronger demand signals.
The PropertyIQ Score for the Atchison, KS market is built from four inputs: Zillow home-value momentum over twelve months, Zillow home-value momentum over three months, the median days listings spend on the market (Realtor.com), and the share of listings with a price cut (Realtor.com). The score runs on a 1 to 99 scale computed across all metro markets nationally and calibrated so 50 equals the state average — a score above 50 means this market is positioned to outperform its state, and a score below 50 means it is set to lag. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 14.0% over the past year.
Use PropertyIQ's interactive analytics to compare Atchison, KS against any other US metro on its PropertyIQ Score and underlying metrics. Generate a free AI market report, explore historical trends on the graphs page, or see how this market ranks on the scores dashboard.
Counties in the Atchison, KS metro area
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Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Atchison, KS a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Atchison, KS currently scores 85, a strong-momentum reading that leaves it positioned to outperform its state over the next three years. For buyers, strengthening demand usually means rising competition and firmer prices, so waiting can cost you negotiating room. Backing that up, the median home value here is $190K, up 14.0% over the past year. So whether Atchison, KS is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Atchison, KS?
Atchison, KS's PropertyIQ Score is 85, indicating strong momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 85 places Atchison, KS above its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Atchison, KS rising or falling?
Home prices in Atchison, KS are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 14.0%, reaching $190K. Over the latest three months, values moved up 0.1%, a sign near-term demand remains firm. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind Atchison, KS's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in Atchison, KS?
In Atchison, KS, homes sell in a median of 75 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 14% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Atchison, KS market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.