Living in Derby, KS
Sedgwick County
Derby is a real, genuinely distinct Kansas market: a Wichita-metro suburb in Sedgwick County, and the largest suburb of Wichita by population. Its population ran 25,625 at the 2020 census, with 2026 estimates running approximately 26,600 to 27,050 -- a real, genuinely growing bedroom community. Derby's economy reflects real, genuine spillover from Wichita's own aviation-manufacturing and healthcare base, with local residents working substantially in manufacturing (~2,290), healthcare and social assistance (~1,902), and educational services (~1,291). Rent runs genuinely affordable relative to the national average (approximately $945-$973/month vs. a $1,644 national average), though housing-price data carries a real, disclosed cross-source spread ($199,000 to $309,900 depending on source). Derby's effective property tax rate (1.62%) runs notably above Sedgwick County's own median (1.16%). Kansas's real, current 2026 two-bracket income tax (5.2%/5.58%) applies here as statewide.
Explore Derby in depth
- Moving to Derby: Pros, Cons & What to Know
- Cost of Living in Derby
- Housing Market in Derby
- Buying a Home in Derby
- Renting in Derby
- Taxes in Derby
- Homeowners Insurance & Natural Hazard Costs in Derby
- Climate & Weather in Derby
- Jobs & Economy in Derby
- Schools in Derby
- Crime & Safety in Derby
- Healthcare in Derby
- Traffic & Transportation in Derby
- Best Areas to Live in Derby
- Pros and Cons of Living in Derby
- Retiring in Derby
- Who Should / Shouldn’t Move to Derby
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Learn moreHousing
Taxes
Not independently sourced at the Sedgwick County level this session. Kansas's top state income tax rate is 5.58%. See the Kansas hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Derby-specific.
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Get local guidanceThe tradeoffs
Pros
A real, genuinely growing suburban identity as the largest suburb of Wichita, with real, close access to Wichita's aviation-manufacturing and healthcare job base without Derby's own identity centering on heavy industry. Genuinely affordable rent relative to the national average. Real, extensive healthcare access via the Wesley Healthcare/HCA Wichita-metro ER network, including the region's only pediatric ER. A school district (USD 260) with a real, documented emphasis on safety infrastructure.
Cons
An effective property tax rate (1.62%) running notably above Sedgwick County's own median. A real, disclosed cross-source spread on both home-price and median-household-income data this record does not resolve to one figure. A mixed, real crime picture: overall crime runs higher than approximately 90% of Kansas cities/towns, even though violent crime alone runs safer than state and national averages.
Who this fits
Best for: Best fits families and young professionals seeking a genuinely growing Wichita-metro suburb with real access to the metro's aviation and healthcare job base, affordable rent, and extensive regional healthcare access.
Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for buyers who want a single, uncontested home-price or income figure rather than this record's own honestly-disclosed cross-source spreads, or for anyone prioritizing the lowest possible property tax rate within Sedgwick County.
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