By Kylie Cameron/The Wichita Eagle
A third of Kansans see property taxes as a significant threat to staying in their homes, according to a 2024 survey analysis from Fort Hays State University.
“Property tax was a big concern for a lot of people,” Fort Hays State researcher Jian Sun said. “It’s mostly the property owners [who] feel the direct impact of property taxes than those who are renting. Not everyone realizes the impact of property taxes to changes on their rent.”
In the survey, 11% of respondents said property taxes were a large threat, and 20% said they were a moderate threat. Others (23%) said they were a small threat. Just over a third said the taxes were not a threat for them, and the rest did not know.
The questions about property taxes and housing were asked as part of the Kansas Speaks public opinion survey, which is published annually by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State.
The survey results come as state and local politicians voice concerns about property taxes in the runup to the Nov. 5 elections.
In Sedgwick County, rising property values are fueling the rise in property taxes. The median valuation increase for homeowners in the county this year was 10%. As a result, the county is considering using sales tax to fund arts, culture and recreation programming, in hopes that it would allow the county to lower its property tax levy.
In Kansas, a tax cut package passed in June largely focused on income taxes. Lawmakers say they will look for property tax relief next year. “We fully agree that not enough was done on property taxes,” House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said at the time.
Housing costs and property taxes continue to be a persistent issue for Kansans compared with previous surveys, Sun said.
Lower income earners feel the most insecure about their housing, especially costs. Other survey results showed that more than 40% of respondents did not have any savings to cover monthly expenses.
“Those people who have lower household income have a higher level of difficulties to buy a home in their community. Also, they had concerns about the cost of housing.”
Cost concerns stretch to other opinions about housing, according to Sun.
Respondents who have a lower level of income were more likely to agree that there was a lack of affordable homes in their communities.
“So people feel the impact personally, and they are concerned about the impact on their community,” Sun said. “It’s a very important issue that’s on people’s mind.”
The Kansas Speaks survey asked questions of 645 adult Kansas residents online from Sept. 26 through Oct. 16. The survey was co-sponsored by The Wichita Journalism Collaborative, a partnership group of 10 news organizations and nonprofits in Wichita that includes The Eagle.
This article was republished here with the permission of: The Wichita Eagle