Wichita continually ranks as one of the best cities in the nation for quality due to its affordability, short commutes, and public safety. Wichita was also ranked the best city in the nation for first-time homebuyers in 2017.
Wichita has been praised for its family values and a diverse business community focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. Wichita was the birthplace of companies like Cessna, Learjet, Pizza Hut, White Castle and Coleman Companies.
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One of the biggest features of living in Wichita is the cost of living, which is far below national average. When compared to what you might find on the east or west coast, Wichita’s rental rates and home prices are relatively inexpensive. Residents also spend less on daily expenses such as groceries and utilities on average.
Due to the spread-out nature of the Wichita metro area, you’ll most likely need car transportation for your commute. Although public bus service is available and has improved greatly in recent years, it’s generally limited in reach.
In recent years Wichita has made considerable efforts to become bike-friendly. Designated bike lanes run throughout the downtown and neighboring areas. Wichita also features a sprawling network of over 60 miles of recreational bike paths including beautiful scenic byways around the region. For those traveling throughout the downtown area, the Q-Line Trolley provides free service.
A brand new airport, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower International Airport, was built in 2015. Nonstop flights are offered to popular destinations like Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago and more.
Ground transport is available by charter bus companies like Greyhound and for those who prefer rail, Amtrak has a station in the neighboring city of Newton.
Average commute time in Wichita? Less than 20 minutes – one of the best in the country.
The Keeper of the Plains, a 44-foot tall sculpture on the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers, stands at the gateway to the city and overlooks the city. Fire pits are lighted each evening and illuminate the sculpture making it visible from quite a distance. How many other cities landmark includes fire?
The Keeper of the Plains is also right next door to the Mid-America All-Indian Center, a museum dedicated to the history and culture of Native Americans.
Directly east of downtown Wichita is Old Town, a transformed warehouse district that has become one of the trendiest sections of the city filled with exposed brick and limestone apartments, nightclubs, restaurants, theaters, museums, farmers market, and a top of specialty shops. Old Town is where the action is.
In recent years there has been a massive demand for living space in this popular area and new apartments in this area and condominiums have helped fill some of that demand. Although prices have fluctuated greatly in recent years, an average one bedroom apartment in Old Town will cost you anywhere between from $800 to about $1,600, depending on the square footage.
Selecting a neighborhood is one of the most difficult aspects of moving, but we have you covered. A couple of the most popular residential areas of Wichita are College Hill and Riverside. College Hills is nestled just east of the downtown district, and just south of Wichita State University. College Hill contains some of the most historic homes in Wichita, while Riverside is home to some of the most scenic.
Wichita began as a trading hub and meeting place for 11,000 years for nomadic people, but it wasn’t until the first permanent settlement in 1863 by the Wichita Indians, that the modern-day Wichita began to take shape. J.R. Mead became the first white settler shortly after when he began a trading post and established the area as a Chisholm Trail base.
By 1870 Wichita has become an endpoint for Texas cattle drives. This gave Wichita the nickname, “Cowtown.” Wichita fell on difficult times when the cattle trade migrated west to take advantage of new rail lines. The city sprang back however in the 1890s as grain production began to more than equal the wealth formerly brought by cattle to become a trade and milling center.
In 1918 a large oil reserve discovery in nearby Butler County caused the population of Wichita to nearly double. As a result, money from the oil discovery allowed entrepreneurs of the area to invest in the booming airplane industry. Men like Lloyd Stearman, Walter Beech, and Clyde Cessna brought the industry to the area, and during World War II it was the primary manufacturing center for airplanes needed in the war effort. Wichita remains the center for the aircraft industry, the “Air Capital of the World,” producing 70% of U.S. general aviation aircraft.
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