These are the two things residents most often cite as the best characteristics about living in Wichita. It’s extremely easy to get around and people are genuinely friendly. On first blush these might seem disconnected. We think not only are they related but they also are byproducts of something important to consider. Life in Wichita is slower-paced, not so frantic with traffic to put you in a foul mood, or drive you to unfriendliness. That leads both directly and in general to a friendlier population. If you’re looking for a kinder, gentler place for your family put Wichita on your list. 

**Here's a local on what it's like to live in Wichita:** 
*Cost of living is so cheap here and I genuinely like it here. I was able to purchase a home (pre pandemic) on my own with no bachelors degree. Wichita is pretty chill. It does not have some of the draws that larger cities have but I don't mind it. The food scene here is phenomenal so there is always a good meal to be had. I have been getting more and more into the local music scene and there are some good local bands to enjoy. There is always someone playing what seems like every night. A lot of times they are playing at local restaurants. Shopping is lacking a bit but it has picked up in the last couple of years. Traffic is not bad I live and work on opposite sides of town and I can get home in 25 minutes.*

For more reviews of what living in Wichita is like from locals check out: [**The Buzz**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/wichita?page=buzz)

No Traffic + The People Are Friendly

The Best Thing About Wichita?

Look, if you seek the pace of New York, or the economic vitality of San Francisco, or the sheer size of Chicago or Los Angeles then you’re probably not considering Wichita anyway. That acknowledgement set aside, Wichita is not going to satisfy even a middling level demand for a city that never sleeps. While there is a growing energy in the downtown area, for a city with a population of 400k it’s still pretty quiet. 

**Here's a local's pov on the downtown/action issue in Wichita:**
*Wichita used to have a robust downtown but the downfall started in the ‘80s. There were some business and bank sales that reduced the need for downtown office space amongst other things. You used to be able to walk between most buildings downtown without ever stepping outside. However, the business needs after the ‘80s simply weren’t there. The downtown area has basically been recovering and trying to grow since the ‘90s.*

*You combine all that and you get a rather boring downtown. The other biggest thing to note is that Wichita’s population isn’t remotely close to any of the competing cities mentioned. Wichita is more closely aligned with a city the size of Des Moines but even then, there are significant differences.*

The Snooziness

The Worst Thing About Wichita?

Wichita is absolutely one of the cities people describe as “great for raising a family”. If that’s enough for you then come on down (or up or over). Whether you find it active socially depends on where you’re coming from. It’s a small city (or big town) in terms of a downtown social and cultural experience relative to big coastal cities, or midwestern/south central cities like Chicago or Houston. The food, bar and downtown living scene has been growing particularly in the Olde Town neighborhood, but again, it will seem quiet or active depending on your last home.

If you want to see what locals get up to in Wichita check out the calendar of events: https://www.visitwichita.com/events/ 


The Lifestyle Of Wichita

The city’s economy has historically centered on the aerospace industry, they call it the “Air Capital of the World”, so people moving here often come to work for companies like: Spirit, Cessna, Beechcraft and Learjet. There are other major employers like: Koch Industries, Coleman, and Cargill, which keep the economy diversifying but expect some growth to start coming from WFH’ers looking to buy homes and raise children in a family-friendly, affordable city. 


The Worklife Of Wichita

If you’re conservative and think you can’t find a larger city that supports your politics consider Wichita. The state is now consistently Republican and while Wichita recently elected a Democratic mayor it was firmly in Donald Trump’s camp for the presidential election. If you want to avoid a conservative population there are certainly pockets of Wichita that feel more progressive, but overall we advise caution if you prefer a liberal population and policies, given the recent voting trends both for President, and more specifically around abortion and gun rights. 


 If You Want A Conservative Populace In A City

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**The Best Thing About Wichita?** No Traffic + The People Are Friendly

These are the two things residents most often cite as the best characteristics about living in Wichita. It’s extremely easy to get around and people are genuinely friendly. On first blush these might seem disconnected. We think not only are they related but they also are byproducts of something important to consider. Life in Wichita is slower-paced, not so frantic with traffic to put you in a foul mood, or drive you to unfriendliness. That leads both directly and generally to fostering a friendlier population. If you’re looking for a kinder, gentler place for your family put Wichita on your list. 

**The Worst Thing About Wichita?** The Snooziness

Look, if you seek the pace of New York, or the economic vitality of San Francisco, or the sheer size of Chicago or Los Angeles then you’re probably not considering Wichita anyway. That acknowledgement set aside, Wichita is not going to satisfy even a middling level demand for a city that never sleeps. While there is a growing energy in the downtown area, for a city with a population of 400k it’s still pretty quiet. 

**How You Living?** East Side vs. West Side

Wichita has a pretty stark divide between the East and West Sides of the city. In short; the West Side is new money, and the East Side is old money. The “new money” side brings nice newer homes, but also plenty of bars and restaurants. The “old money” side brings nice older homes, with more high-end shopping. Both are great areas to live within depending on how you want to live. 

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** Conservative Populace

If you’re conservative and think you can’t find a larger city that supports your politics consider Wichita. The state is now consistently Republican and while Wichita recently elected a Democratic mayor it was firmly in Donald Trump’s camp for the presidential election. If you want to avoid a conservative population there are certainly pockets of Wichita that feel more progressive, but overall we advise caution given the recent voting trends both for President, and more specifically around abortion and gun rights. 


Old Town is where most young professionals start their search for a place to call home. Filled with renovated warehouses, it has some of the best eclectic dining options including tapas, sushi and BBQ,  along with bars, live music and apartment and loft living options. 
- Old Town
- Delano
- La Placita Park
- Country Overlook


Young Professionals

Old Town

Country Overlook is a good place for singles and couples who want some walkable restaurant and bar options, but who want more greenery and quiet than Old Town/Downtown neighborhoods. The neighborhood has a wonderful park at the center with jogging and biking trails, and plenty of lounging and fishing options. 
- Country Overlook
- Chisholm Creek


DINKs/SINKs

Country Overlook

As has been noted, Wichita is a relatively conservative place for a bigger city, but some of that conservatism is more independent and the city is described as more “live and let live” than discriminatory. There is a Pride Fest event every year and a half-dozen or so LGBTQ+ bar options. While Wichita doesn’t have a specific LGBTQ+ neighborhood with a large concentration of the community, the downtown neighborhood of Old Town is a good starting point, and College Hill is another option if you’re looking for upscale and more quiet. 
- Old Town
- College Hill 


LGBTQ+

College Hill

College Hill is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Wichita. Centered around College Hill Park, it is filled with rolling green hills for families to play and walk around, and even has a community swim from relief from the warm summers. Historic homes, great shopping and good public schools round out the reasons for families to start their search here. 

Younger families should check out Cottonwood Village. Lower pricing options for housing than College Hill but also with family-friendly amenities like Chisholm Creek Park, for outdoor recreation, including playgrounds, ball fields and fishing ponds. In addition to the kiddo options, the neighborhood also has plenty of pubs and restaurants for nighttime. 
- College Hill
- Cottonwood Village


Families

College Hill Park

Wichita

**Why do you live in Wichita?**

Cost of living is so cheap here and I genuinely like it here. I was able to purchase a home (pre pandemic) on my own with no bachelors degree. Wichita is pretty chill. It does not have some of the draws that larger cities have but I don't mind it. The food scene here is phenomenal so there is always a good meal to be had. I have been getting more and more into the local music scene and there are some good local bands to enjoy. There is always someone playing what seems like every night. A lot of times they are playing at local restaurants. Shopping is lacking a bit but it has picked up in the last couple of years. Traffic is not bad I live and work on opposite sides of town and I can get home in 25 minutes.

If your a sports fan (Which I am) look at the 3 hour drive time radius of the city. You have OU, OSU, KU, K-State, WSU, Tulsa, Wind Surge, Royals, Sporting KC, Chiefs, and the Thunder. For college sports that currently spans 2 conferences and soon to be 3. I really enjoy golf and the city courses are pretty good and better priced than other cities I have played in. There is also Sand Creek Station in Newton which is a great course.

For day or weekend trips there is Dallas, KC, Tulsa, OKC, and Branson. There is direct flights to Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, St Louis, Atlanta, and Destin.

**Why do you live in Wichita?**

I'm from Wichita but live in Omaha and want to rebuttal on a few points but not the entire thesis. 1) Botanica is an order of magnitude better than Lauritzen. The zoo here cannibalizes landscaping, plant species, and cultivars and doesn't give Lauritzen a chance. 2) Sedgwick County Zoo is world class even if it's not the best in the world. 3) Trails are way more accessible in Wichta. Fontanelle Forest is not in Omaha, but Wichita has Pawnee Prairie and Chisholm Creek in the city. 4) Craft beer is better in Wichita. Omaha's beer culture relies heavily on imports. Beer is sold in grocery stores here so there aren't many specialized beer stores selling local beers. It's getting a lot better though over the last couple years.

Not mentioned: 1) local pride/pride in the community is much stronger in Wichita, 2) Omaha has no real gay bars. Maybe Flixx. But it was very jarring moving here after the diversity/options in Wichita, 3) no food truck culture in Omaha.

Overall, I think Wichita should look to Omaha as an example for how to improve the city, especially in density and walkability. But I just want to remind people that every city is different, and Wichita has a lot of strengths as a midsized Midwestern city

**What is it like to live in Wichita, KS?**

I enjoyed living in Wichita from 2010–2014 (5 years+ total). One of the things I enjoyed the most about it was that it had a kind of big city feel without being a big city. And if you even need to take the next step up to big city experiences, you are only 3 hours away from both Kansas City and Oklahoma City, both of which have a lot of neat things to do as well.

Infrastructure: The city hardly has any traffic, though there are a couple specific exits that bind up during rush hour. But you are never more than 25 minutes from anywhere because of a relatively efficient interstate/belt route system. There are sufficient numbers of schools and hospitals, and the health care system actually has very good outcomes. Contrary to a comment elsewhere, I found that Wichita had a lot of variety in the type of food, and outside of fast food, wasn’t really franchise-heavy except for local franchises. I have lived and travelled all over the world and some of my favourite places to eat are in Wichita, Kansas. There are bowling alleys, movie theatres, plenty of malls, speciality stores, eateries, museums, theatre/playhouses, concert halls, activities, etc. so that you won’t be bored. My wife and I stayed busy with at least one major activity a month (operas, minor league baseball games, symphonies, play, movie, cultural festivals, exhibition, etc.).

Work/Economy: The city itself if very centered economically on the aerospace industry at large (that is why Wichita is known as the “Air Capital of the World,” so when the industry sneezes, Wichita gets a cold. Rounds of layoffs for companies like Spirit, Cessna & Beechcraft (which are now both owned by Textron), and Learjet are not uncommon, and that can have a profound impact on the economy in general. There are a couple of other large companies in the area that are not in aerospace (notably, Via Christi Health, Koch Industries, Coleman, and Cargill); Coleman and Cargill won’t grow much from where they are, and VCH as a health system will really only grow as the population in general does, and so much of the economic growth power from Wichita comes from Koch Industries, love them or hate them, and other small businesses and cottage industries.

 

**I’m moving out to Wichita in a few days. What’s it like living there? What’s things to do, and good places to hangout?**

There are many different things to do in Wichita. It depends on what you enjoy. If you enjoy outside activities we have numerous parks and nature trails. There are Farmers Markets you may wish to visit. Walking along the river and visiting the Keeper of the Plains is highly recommended. Our Old Town is a fun place to hang out. There are restaurants and bars which often have local live entertainment. We have a variety of museums and theaters, also. Live performances range from ballet to children’s shows. Our city is currently rebuilding our baseball stadium and we have an indoor hockey team. Many people here support our Wichita State University Basketball team. We have different festivals in the spring, summer and fall. Our Riverfest is a ten day city party. We have ‘Food Trucks at the Fountains’ throughout the summer. This is a very shortlist of things I enjoy doing in my city. Personally, I wish you a warm welcome to Wichita and hope you enjoy your new life here!

Wichita, Kansas

Doo-Dah (nobody knows why they call it that)

Looklyloo Score: 67

We're on it!