What Wichita State Students Pay to Live Off Campus Near Fairmount

Wichita State off-campus housing near Fairmount costs most students about $550 to $750 a month in rent, plus roughly $40 to $100 for utilities and $150 a year for a campus parking permit. That is noticeably less than a first-year triple in Shocker Hall, which runs $10,560 for the 2026-27 school year once the required meal plan is added. The catch: Wichita listings rarely post their fees, so the real number is the one you get in writing.

Key Takeaways

• Rent for a bed or small unit within two miles of campus starts around $550 to $650 on FMP's Wichita listings.
• Fairmount, the pocket between Hillside and Oliver from 13th to 17th Street, is almost entirely rentals (one local developer put it at 95%).
• Budget $40 to $100 a month for utilities if they aren't bundled.
• Kansas law caps an unfurnished-unit deposit at one month's rent, and it has to come back within 30 days of move-out.
• First-year students generally can't skip the dorm. WSU requires two semesters on campus unless you qualify for an exemption (age 21, 24 credit hours, living with family in Sedgwick County, and a few others).
• Parking is cheap here: $150 covers fall and spring in the campus lots.

What Fairmount Is and Why Students Rent There

Fairmount is the neighborhood directly south of Wichita State, running from Hillside Street to Oliver Avenue between 13th and 17th streets. It is old Wichita: Victorian houses next to plain ranch houses, with Fairmount Park sitting in the middle. KMUW reported in 2023 that newer student apartments along 17th Street have been replacing older low-rent housing, and that a two-bedroom that went for under $600 in 2019 was leasing for about $750 after upgrades.

That shift is the whole story of renting near campus right now. The closer you get to 17th Street, the more you pay for the walk. Go a few blocks south or east and the old house rentals are still the bargain they used to be.

If you want to see what's open right now, start with the Wichita State off-campus housing listings on FMP. Twenty properties show up there, from single-room houses to full complexes.

What Rent Actually Costs Around Wichita State in 2026

Most students near WSU pay between $550 and $750 a month. Here's where real FMP listings land as of October 2026 (base rent only, because none of these properties has posted its monthly fees yet).

Closest to campus: 21st Street and Oliver

Altitude Wichita at 4910 E 21st St N is 0.8 miles from campus, the nearest listing in the set. Its four-bedroom plans list from $629, while the two-bedroom lists at $915. Rent drops as the bedroom count goes up, which only makes sense if those are per-bed prices (so $629 is your share, not the whole apartment).

A little farther up Oliver, 2909 Oliver sits 1.3 miles out and lists from $550. Ask the landlord whether that figure is per person or for the full unit. The listing doesn't say, and that one detail can swing your budget by a few hundred dollars.

Just south of the Fairmount pocket

834 N Pershing is a downstairs one-bedroom 1.5 miles from campus at $600 a month. No roommates. For a lot of upperclassmen that's the best deal on the board: you get the whole place for less than some people pay for a single bed.

Farther out, with more amenities

East of campus, Aero on N Pinecrest is 2.9 miles away, with two-bedroom plans listing from $699 and one-bedrooms from $939. Downtown, Loft E on Commerce Street lists one-bedrooms from $1,050. You'll drive to class from either one (about 3.4 miles from Loft E), but you're near Old Town nightlife.

Costs Beyond Rent: Utilities, Parking and Deposits

Rent is only part of the bill. Three other costs show up for nearly every WSU renter.

Utilities

Plan on $40 to $100 a month for utilities when they aren't included. Electricity is the big swing in Wichita, with July air conditioning on one end and January heat on the other. Kansas averages around 16 cents per kilowatt-hour, so an older Fairmount house with drafty windows will cost more to run than a newer complex unit. FMP's breakdown of how much utilities cost in a student apartment walks through each bill.

Parking

Wichita is a driving city, and WSU's prices reflect that. A campus lot permit is $150 for fall and spring, or $75 a semester, per the university parking chart. Garage first-floor and reserved spots jump to $275 a semester. Most off-campus students are fine with the $150 permit.

Security deposit

Kansas limits what a landlord can ask for. Under K.S.A. 58-2550, the deposit on an unfurnished unit can't exceed one month's rent. Furnished units can go up to one and a half months, and a pet can add another half month on top. The landlord has to return what's owed within 30 days after your lease ends.

Off Campus vs. Shocker Hall: The Real Math

For a typical student, off-campus living near WSU costs less per month, but you're paying for twelve months instead of nine. That's the trade.

A Shocker Hall triple is $5,540 for the 2026-27 year, and every resident has to buy a meal plan (the cheapest required one adds $5,020). Total: $10,560 for two semesters. A standard single climbs to $13,450.

Now the off-campus version. A bed at Altitude at $629 a month comes to $7,548 for a full twelve-month lease. Add $70 a month for utilities and the $150 parking permit and you're near $8,500, before groceries.

Whether that beats the dorm depends on how cheaply you cook. Our take? Most students who cook at home come out ahead, and they get the summer housing too.

One rule to know first. WSU requires first-year students, including transfers, to live on campus for their first two semesters unless they're exempt. You qualify if you're 21 or older, have 24 or more credit hours, are married, live in Greek housing, take fewer than 12 hours, or live with a parent or close relative in the Sedgwick County area.

How to Keep Your Wichita Rent Under $600

Getting under $600 near WSU is realistic. A few moves get you there.

• Room up. Splitting a three- or four-bedroom is the single biggest lever, and splitting rent fairly with roommates is easier when the rooms are different sizes.
• Look a few blocks south of 17th Street, where the older Fairmount houses haven't been renovated yet.
• Ask every landlord for the full monthly total in writing (trash, pest control, "amenity" fees). Wichita listings rarely post these up front.
• Skip the garage permit.
• Sign in spring for an August start. The complexes on Oliver and 21st fill first.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wichita State Off-Campus Housing

How much is rent near Wichita State University?

About $550 to $750 a month for most students. FMP's Wichita listings start at $550 within two miles of campus, and a whole one-bedroom on N Pershing lists at $600. Downtown lofts and newer complexes run $900 and up.

Is it cheaper to live off campus at Wichita State?

Usually, yes, if you cook. A Shocker Hall triple with the required meal plan is $10,560 for nine months, while a $629 bed off campus runs about $8,500 a year with utilities and parking. Groceries close some of that gap.

Can freshmen live off campus at WSU?

Not without an exemption. WSU requires first-year and transfer students to live on campus for two semesters unless they're 21 or older, have 24 credit hours, live with family in Sedgwick County, or meet another listed exemption.

Where is the Fairmount neighborhood?

Directly south of campus. Fairmount runs from Hillside Street to Oliver Avenue between 13th and 17th streets, with Fairmount Park in the center, and nearly all of its housing is rented.

How much can a Wichita landlord charge for a security deposit?

One month's rent for an unfurnished place. Kansas allows up to 1.5 months for furnished units, plus up to half a month extra for a pet, and the money has to be returned within 30 days after you move out.

Do I need a car to live off campus near WSU?

Probably. Wichita spreads out, and only the closest complexes on 21st Street and Oliver are realistically walkable. Budget for the $150 campus parking permit.