Ottawa, KS Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Ottawa, KS metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Ottawa, KS Market Analysis
Market Overview
Ottawa, Kansas is a strong residential market by the metrics provided, with a PropertyIQ Score of 89 out of 100. The city’s median home value of $264,315 sits about 5.3% above the Kansas state average of $250,918, and its rent index of $1,058 is slightly above the state benchmark of $1,029. At the same time, Ottawa’s unemployment rate of 3.8% matches the state average, and its median household income of $72,142 is only marginally below the state figure of $72,639. These comparisons show a market that is outperforming the state on home values and rents while staying roughly in line on employment and income.
The 89 score is driven mainly by a 12-month home value momentum of 13.26%, a median days-on-market of 39 days, and a price-cut share of 14.8%. Those metrics suggest solid buyer demand and limited seller discounting. The 3-month home value momentum of -0.91%, however, points to some near-term cooling after the strong annual run. Population growth is listed as N/A in the provided data, so demographic demand cannot be directly assessed.
Key Trends
The first trend is strong annual appreciation with short-term moderation. The 12-month home value momentum of 13.26% shows meaningful value growth over the past year, while the 3-month momentum of -0.91% indicates a slight recent pullback. The dataset also lists a year-over-year home value change of $8, which appears inconsistent with the 13.26% momentum figure; if taken literally, it would suggest almost flat annual dollar growth. The percentage momentum appears to be the clearer signal while the dollar figure is noted as reported.
A second trend is a relatively quick sales pace with limited discounting. The median days on market is 39 days, meaning the typical home sells in just over five weeks. Only 14.8% of listings have a price cut, which is a low share and suggests sellers generally do not need to reduce prices. With 69 homes for sale, inventory is modest in absolute terms, though no state inventory benchmark is available.
A third trend is a modest affordability gap. Ottawa’s median home value is 5.3% above the state average, and its rent index is about 2.8% above the state benchmark, while median household income is slightly below the state level. The local price-to-income ratio is about 3.66, compared with about 3.45 for the state, indicating that housing costs are somewhat higher relative to local income than is typical for Kansas.
Who Is This Market For
Because median days on market is 39 days and only 14.8% of listings have price cuts, buyers need to be prepared to act quickly. First-time buyers may find the median home value of $264,315 approachable relative to broader markets, but the slightly elevated price-to-income ratio means affordability is a bit tighter than the state average. Move-up buyers who have benefited from the 13.26% twelve-month momentum may have gained equity and can likely sell their current home quickly, though they will face the same competitive buying conditions.
For investors, Ottawa’s rent index of $1,058 above the state benchmark and the strong 12-month value momentum are positive signals for rental demand and long-term appreciation potential. The low price-cut share also supports price stability. However, the 3-month momentum of -0.91% and the missing population growth data suggest that investors should not expect rapid short-term gains without monitoring local demographic trends.
Outlook
Ottawa’s data points to continued stability with a slower pace of price growth than the past year. The 12-month home value momentum of 13.26% reflects substantial appreciation, while the 3-month momentum of -0.91% suggests leveling off or slight cooling. With 39 days on market, a 14.8% price-cut share, and a 3.8% unemployment rate matching the state, underlying demand remains steady. The modest inventory of 69 homes for sale may help prevent significant price declines. Still, affordability is slightly tighter than the state average, and the lack of population growth data limits long-term demand visibility. Overall, the market appears likely to remain competitive but more measured than the annual momentum alone would suggest.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated August 29, 2026.
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Ottawa, KS market data
Ottawa, KS Housing Market Overview
Ottawa, KS's median home value is $264K, up 13.3% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 39 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 89 sits well above the state average of 50, marking a market positioned to outperform its state over the next three years.
The Ottawa, KS metro area is one of 900+ US metropolitan markets that PropertyIQ scores each month. A single PropertyIQ Score blends Zillow price momentum with Realtor.com market-flow signals to estimate 3-year excess appreciation versus the market's state — showing not just where prices stand today, but how the market is positioned relative to its peers.
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, Ottawa, KS's PropertyIQ Score of 89 ranks among the Midwest's stronger demand signals.
For the Ottawa, KS market, PropertyIQ calculates a single score each month from four inputs: twelve-month Zillow home-value momentum, three-month Zillow home-value momentum, median days on market from Realtor.com, and the Realtor.com price-reduced share. The score is computed nationally across all metros and calibrated so 50 equals the state average. Across the validation history, metro markets in the top score band have outperformed their state by roughly 1.7 percentage points more per year than bottom-band markets. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 13.3% over the past year.
Use PropertyIQ's interactive analytics to compare Ottawa, 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.
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Market data through July 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 Ottawa, 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. Ottawa, KS currently scores 89, 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 $264K, up 13.3% over the past year. So whether Ottawa, 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 Ottawa, KS?
Ottawa, KS's PropertyIQ Score is 89, 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 89 places Ottawa, KS above its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Ottawa, KS rising or falling?
Home prices in Ottawa, KS are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 13.3%, reaching $264K. Over the latest three months, values slipped 0.9%, a sign near-term demand is softening. 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 Ottawa, 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 Ottawa, KS?
In Ottawa, KS, homes sell in a median of 39 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 15% 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 Ottawa, KS market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through July 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.