Marion County

Marion County sits at a median home price of $144,475, ranks 4th nationally out of 1,000 counties scored, and lands in the 100th national percentile, which is an extraordinary placement for a county of fewer than 12,000 people in central Kansas. The affordability index reads 99, and year-over-year home price appreciation came in at 6.42%. What the data does not provide is a rent estimate, cap rate, or cash-on-cash figure, which means the cash flow score registers as zero, not because the market is necessarily cash-flow negative, but because the model lacks the rental income data to calculate it. That gap is itself a signal: Marion is a thin, illiquid market where rental comparables are sparse and an investor needs to build their own rent survey before underwriting. The appreciation score of 90 out of 100, paired with the 6.42% price growth, is where the story starts.

This market suits an appreciation-oriented buyer who is comfortable operating in a low-liquidity, rural environment. The affordability score of 99 means entry prices are exceptionally low relative to incomes, which creates a durable floor under values and a structural case for continued price appreciation as long as the local economy holds. A $144,475 purchase price with 20% down means roughly $28,900 out of pocket, a low enough check that an investor can diversify across multiple units without overconcentrating capital. The value-add operator might also find opportunity here precisely because the rental market is opaque: if comparable rents have not kept pace with the 6.42% price growth, there could be a spread to capture. But a pure cash-flow buyer who needs a pro forma to pencil on day one should look elsewhere until they can independently verify rental income figures for this market.

On carry costs, the Kansas state-average effective property tax rate is 1.41%, which the Tax Foundation classifies as normal, and that assessment is accurate relative to neighboring states. Combined with an estimated insurance rate of 0.58%, the monthly tax and insurance burden on a $144,475 property runs approximately $240. At a 6.85% rate on an 80% LTV loan, that $240 figure is a material line on the underwrite, roughly 20 to 25% of what a monthly mortgage payment would look like on this asset. The rate itself is not a red flag, but investors accustomed to Sun Belt states with lower effective rates should note that Kansas sits above the national median, and the caveat in the data is worth repeating: the 1.41% is a state-average estimate and actual Marion County or township rates may differ. Pull the county assessor data before closing.

The specific risks here are concentration and liquidity, and both flow directly from the population figure of 11,867. A rental portfolio in a county this size is exposed to single-employer risk, school enrollment trends, and outmigration in a way that a metro market is not. If the largest local employer contracts or closes, vacancy absorption is slow because the renter pool is small to begin with. No economic anchor data was provided for Marion, so it is not possible to assess job base stability from the supplied inputs. The stability score of 50 out of 100 is the lowest sub-score in the dataset and deserves weight: it suggests the model is flagging real fragility underneath the attractive affordability and appreciation numbers. That is not a deal-killer, but it is the number to stress-test.

Compared to the five neighboring counties provided, Marion's overall score of 81 ties Doniphan County (also 81) and trails Montgomery County, which scores 84 at a median price of $101,405 and a rent-to-price ratio of 10.2%. That last figure is the most actionable data point in the neighbors table. Montgomery's 10.2% gross rent-to-price ratio is well above typical break-even thresholds and indicates a genuine cash-flow market. Pawnee County scores 82 at $107,014, also cheaper than Marion. Dickinson and Sherman counties score 78 each, making them weaker on the composite metric. The case for choosing Marion over its neighbors comes down to one thing: the appreciation score of 90 is the highest in this peer group, and the 6.42% price growth supports that ranking. An investor who wants price appreciation, is willing to do their own rental survey, and can tolerate a stability score of 50 belongs in Marion. An investor who needs the cash flow to be visible from the data and wants more economic depth should look at Montgomery County first.