Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about living and working in Wichita.

1. Do you have visitor information?
2. What is the population of the greater Wichita area?
3. What is the projected growth of greater Wichita?
4. What is the cost of living in Wichita?
5. What is the commute like?
6. Who are the major employers of Wichita?
7. What is the unemployment rate?
8. What is the climate like?
9. Where can I find information about renting an apartment?
10. What is the daily newspaper?
11. What will it cost to purchase a home in Wichita?
12. What is Wichita's major industry?
13. What are the different school districts in and around Wichita?
14. What is the sales tax rate?
15. Who provides telephone and utility service in Wichita?
16. What types of churches are located in greater Wichita?
17. What types of public transportation are available in Wichita?
18. What are the local colleges and universities in greater Wichita?
19. Is there a directory of the Chamber's marketing and information lists?
20. What is the community profile?

Answer: The Wichita area is fortunate to have the Greater Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau, an organization with the sole purpose of providing tourism information. They provide an incredible amount of information on Wichita's events and attractions on their Web site at www.visitwichita.com, or they can be reached at (316) 265-2800 or (800) 288-9424.

Additionally, two sections of the Chamber Web site are devoted to educating visitors on living, working and playing in the Wichita metro area - Community Central and Business Central.

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Answer:

3. What is the projected growth of greater Wichita?

Answer: The Wichita metro area is rapidly expanding, with a population that recently reached more than half a million people. The City of Wichita has been steadily growing at a rate of nearly 2 percent since 2000.

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4. What is cost of living in Wichita?

Answer:

5. What is the commute like?

Answer: Drives to work in the Wichita metro area are a breeze with an average commute time of 18 minutes. The vast majority of Wichita commuters travel in their own vehicles and less than 0.5 percent of trips are made through public transportation.

Average One-Way Commute Time................................ 18.0 minutes
Approximately 28% shorter than the national average of 25.1 minutes
Source:  U.S. Census Bureau (2005)

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6. Who are the major employers of Wichita?

Answer:

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7. What is the unemployment rate?

Answer: The civilian labor force for metro Wichita averaged 319,054 for October 2007 with an unemployment rate of 3.3 percent.

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8. What is the climate like?

Answer: Wichita boasts more sunny days than Florida! With temperatures ranging from 20 to 40 degrees in the winter and 50 to 95 in the summer, Wichita has a varied climate. The average wind speed is 12 miles per hour with an average rainfall of 29 inches per year and an average of 15 inches of snow per year.

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9. Where can I find information about renting an apartment?

Answer: You can access apartment information in the Chamber's business directory.

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10. What is the daily newspaper?

Answer: The daily newspaper is the Wichita Eagle.

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11. What will it cost to purchase a home in Wichita?

Answer: As of the third quarter in 2007, the existing single-family home's median price was $118,800, 46% below the national median price of $220,800.

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12. What is Wichita's major industry?

Answer: Metro Wichita has long been recognized for its aerospace industry that continues to thrive today and remain one of the key industries in the area.

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13. What are the different school districts in and around Wichita?

Answer:

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14. What is the sales tax rate?

Answer: The tax rate in Wichita is currently 6.3 percent.

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15. Who provides telephone and utility service in Wichita?

Answer: A number of companies provide local telephone service. The city of Wichita is served by Westar Energy, a municipal utility. For more information be sure to check our Telephone and Utilities page.

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16. What types of churches are located in greater Wichita?

Answer: Wichita has a large variety of denominations - for a complete listing of congregations, please contact Inter-Faith Ministries at (316) 264-9303.

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17. What types of public transportation are available in Wichita?

Answer: Area bus service is provided by the Wichita Transit, currently operating 18 bus routes which are conveniently located within one-quarter mile of 90% of Wichita's residents. During the summer months, you can ride the Q-line, Wichita's local trolley, around the downtown area. Taxicabs and rental cars are also available.

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18. What are the local colleges and universities in greater Wichita?

Answer:

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19. Is there a directory of the Chamber's marketing and information lists?

Answer: Contact Jim Edwards, (316) 268-1158, for a more information on marketing lists and printing labels.

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20. What is the community profile?

Answer: Click here for a look at the Wichita metro profile.

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