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Renters insurance only costs a few dollars per month in Kansas, but it can save you thousands if you experience a loss. We evaluated quotes and coverages from the top providers in the state to find the best, most affordable options for renters.
The cheapest price for renters insurance in Kansas is $10 per month, but you shouldn’t pick your coverage based on price alone. Read on for our recommendation for the best choices for Kansas renters insurance.
Best renters insurance for most people: Nationwide
Nationwide has the best overall mix of low rates, strong customer service and useful coverage options in Kansas.
The good:
- Affordable prices
- Useful coverage options
The bad:
- Customer service is good, but not the absolute best
We recommend Nationwide as the best renters insurance company for people in Kansas. It has the best overall blend of low rates, good customer service and coverage options.
The typical price we found from Nationwide is $11 per month. That’s 33% cheaper than the average among all insurers and only $1 more than the cheapest company we found.
Nationwide has a good selection of optional coverages, all of which are useful options. These include water backup, identity theft, replacement-cost and valuable-items coverages. The only major optional coverage not available is equipment breakdown, which we only found at Travelers Insurance.
Customer service at Nationwide is well-reviewed. It has a Complaint Index of 0.38 from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, meaning it’s received only 38% as many complaints as you’d expect given its size. However, it fared slightly worse in J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction survey, scoring 796/1,000. That puts Nationwide below the national average of 831.
Most affordable: State Farm
State Farm brings you the cheapest rates and best customer service among Kansas renters insurers.
The good:
- Lowest prices statewide
- Best-reviewed customer service
The bad:
- Mediocre coverage options
We recommend State Farm for people focused on the best price or stellar customer service. It had the best rates and customer service among all the insurers we considered, though lackluster coverage options kept it from being our top recommendation.
The average price for renters insurance from State Farm was just $10 per month. That’s 37% less than the state average and nearly three times less expensive than the priciest option. However, it’s only $1 less per month than our top pick.
State Farm has very highly reviewed customer service. Like our top pick, it has a low 0.38 Complaint Index from the NAIC. That means customers complained only 38% as much as a typical company when you control for its size. It also has a standout rating from J.D. Power, where it received an 850/1,000 — the best score among Kansas insurers.
The one place State Farm falls short is coverage options. While there are a few choices available, it doesn’t have as many useful features as our other picks, and some — like waterbed liability coverage — aren’t likely to benefit most renters.
Best coverage options: Travelers
Travelers has better coverage options than any other Kansas renters insurer.
Read our full review of Travelers insurance.
The good:
- Great selection of optional coverages
The bad:
- OK customer service
- You must buy in annual installments
For renters who want to supplement their renters insurance policy with lots of optional coverages, we recommend Travelers. It had the best selection of coverage options, including a few extras not available anywhere else.
For example, Travelers is the only company to offer mechanical breakdown coverage and a decreasing deductible. It also has other useful options, including replacement-cost coverage and valuable-items coverage.
However, you’ll pay more for the option to add coverages to your policy. The average price for a base renters insurance policy at Travelers was $16 per month. That’s meaningfully more than the rate at our top pick, though it’s still slightly below the statewide average of $17.
Another drawback to Travelers’ renters insurance is that you have to pay for your policy in annual installments. Instead of paying $16 per month, you can only pay for the whole year upfront: a single payment of $192.
Customer service at Travelers is adequate, with an NAIC Complaint Index of 0.50. While that’s considerably better than the national average, it’s not as good as our other top choices in Kansas.
How we chose the best renters insurance companies in Kansas
To find the best renters insurance companies, we consider three key aspects: affordability, coverage options and customer service.
- Affordability: Are the company’s prices affordable, especially compared to other insurers?
- Coverage options: Does the company have a wide variety of useful coverage options?
- Customer service: Are customers generally satisfied with the service they receive?
Affordability: Finding cheap renters insurance in Kansas
We found a wide range of prices for renters insurance in Kansas. The average price was $17 per month, but the cheapest option was 37% less expensive: State Farm gave us a typical price statewide of just $10 per month.
| Insurer | Average cost | % difference from average |
|---|---|---|
| Average | $19 | — |
| State Farm | $10 | -46% |
| Nationwide | $11 | -42% |
| Travelers | $16 | -18% |
| Allstate | $18 | -7% |
| Farmers | $28 | 44% |
Our selected levels of coverage were:
- Personal property coverage: $30,000
- Liability coverage: $100,000
- Medical payments coverage: $1,000
- Deductible: $500
- Loss of use: $0
Coverage options: Comparing renters insurance policies and benefits
No two renters need the same set of coverage options, so when evaluating coverages, we look for a broad range of useful options that will fit a variety of situations. Key coverages to look for from your renters insurance company include:
- Replacement-cost coverage: Pays for the full cost to replace a destroyed or stolen item, without factoring in depreciation.
- Valuable-items coverage: Extends coverage for items like jewelry or high-end electronics, which often have limited protection under a standard policy.
- Equipment-breakdown coverage: Pays to repair mechanical equipment like a washer/dryer or air conditioner that breaks down due to a mechanical problem.
- Identity theft coverage: Pays for costs associated with identity theft, such as legal fees and lost wages due to time spent on recovering your identity.
In addition, every renters insurance company we evaluated offered the following basic coverages. If you’re looking at an insurer that is missing any of these options, consider that a red flag and try getting a policy from another company.
- Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace property that’s been damaged, destroyed or stolen due to a covered peril.
- Additional living expenses: Pays for a hotel room or other temporary lodging if your home is uninhabitable due to a covered peril.
- Liability coverage: Pays for monetary damages to others that you’re responsible for, such as a guest injured by your dog.
- Medical payments coverage: Pays for medical expenses a guest incurs while at your home, without determining fault. Pays out before liability coverage goes into effect.
Customer service: Evaluating insurer quality in service and claims
Choosing a renters insurance company with dependable service is essential, particularly when you’re buying a policy or making a claim. Good customer service ensures that you’ll be able to get your questions answered in a timely manner, and that you’ll be paid promptly and fairly after you experience a loss.
To evaluate renters insurance customer service, we used three main factors: the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Complaint Index, J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction survey for renters insurance and the A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating.
| Insurer | NAIC Complaint Index | J.D. Power rating | A.M. Best FSR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allstate | 0.51 | 814 | A+ |
| Farmers | 0.37 | 808 | A |
| Nationwide | 0.38 | 796 | A+ |
| State Farm | 0.38 | 850 | A++ |
| Travelers | 0.50 | 796 | A++ |
- NAIC Complaint Index: This score compares the number of complaints an insurer has received to its size. A lower score indicates fewer complaints and suggests customers are happy with the service they receive. The national average score is 1.00.
- J.D. Power rankings: This score is based on a national survey of renters insurance customers asking how satisfied they are with their insurance company. Scores are based out of 1,000 with a national average of 831.
- A.M. Best FSR: This letter grade describes the overall financial health of an insurance company. Grades range from A++ to D, and a higher grade means the company has a better financial ability to pay out claims, even in times of high claim demand or a negative economic climate.
Kansas renters insurance: Costs by city
The cost of renters insurance can vary from place to place. A city without much theft might see lower rates, while a place susceptible to flooding or another disaster might see higher prices.
The cost of renters insurance didn’t vary much by location in Kansas. See our full city-by-city breakdown of renters insurance costs below.
| City | Average price | % difference from state average |
|---|---|---|
| State average | $17 | — |
| Wichita | $17 | -0.3% |
| Overland Park | $14 | -13.7% |
| Kansas City | $17 | 1.0% |
| Topeka | $17 | 4.2% |
| Lawrence | $17 | 3.4% |
| Olathe | $17 | 1.9% |
| Manhattan | $17 | 0.0% |
| Lenexa | $16 | -2.3% |
| Shawnee | $17 | -0.3% |
| Leavenworth | $17 | -0.8% |
| Salina | $16 | -3.6% |
| Hutchinson | $17 | 1.4% |
| Emporia | $17 | 0.0% |
| Pittsburg | $17 | 0.7% |
| Junction City | $16 | -1.2% |
| Hays | $17 | 2.4% |
| Garden City | $17 | 2.7% |
| Dodge City | $17 | 2.1% |
| Mission | $17 | 0.4% |
| Newton | $17 | -0.7% |
| Derby | $17 | -0.6% |
| Liberal | $17 | 2.0% |
| Great Bend | $17 | 3.9% |
| Merriam | $17 | 0.0% |
| Gardner | $16 | -2.5% |
The cost of renters insurance also varies by state. To see how the cost of renters insurance in Kansas compares to other states, take a look at our national study of renters insurance costs.
Methodology
To find the best, most affordable renters insurance options in Kansas, we collected quotes from five major insurers in 25 cities across the state. Our sample renter profile is a single 30-year-old man who has not made any recent renters insurance claims. He’s protected himself with $30,000 of personal property coverage with a $500 deductible, plus $100,000 of liability protection.
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