Ellsworth (KS) Investor Pulse Report (2026-Q1)

Investors hold a significant footprint in Ellsworth County, owning 733 single-family residential properties, which constitutes 36.0% of the total 2,036 SFRs in the market.

The market is dominated by 656 individual landlords who own 546 properties (74.5%), compared to 128 company landlords holding 193 properties (26.3%). This underscores the local, small-scale nature of real estate investing in the area.

A defining characteristic of this market is its complete lack of leverage. All 733 investor-owned properties are classified as cash-owned, with zero properties recorded as financed. This indicates a financially conservative investor base that owns assets outright.

The primary strategy for these landlords is clear, with 716 of the 733 properties being rented. This high rental concentration confirms the portfolio is actively used for generating rental income rather than for speculation or personal use.

The ratio of landlords to properties (784 landlords to 733 properties) suggests that the vast majority of investors are small, with many owning just a single property, which is further detailed in tier analysis.

There is no landlord or homeowner acquisition pricing data for Q4 2025 in Ellsworth County. This is a direct result of zero recorded purchase transactions in the period.

Without recent sales, it is impossible to analyze current market values, assess price appreciation, or compare the purchasing behavior of landlords against traditional homeowners. The market's price dynamics are currently opaque.

The most recent pricing benchmark available is from the 2020-2023 timeframe, when the average landlord acquisition price was $80,202. However, this historical figure may not reflect current market conditions given the lack of recent activity.

The data gap in pricing highlights a market that has become illiquid or is experiencing a significant pause in activity. Observers and potential market participants lack the transactional data needed for accurate valuation.

In Q4 2025, real estate investors made no new single-family property purchases in Ellsworth County. Landlord acquisitions stood at 0, representing 0.0% of the total 0 SFR purchases in the market.

The lack of activity means no new landlords entered the market. The count for new single-property (Tier 01) landlords for the quarter was zero, indicating a pause in market entry for new investors.

This halt in purchasing activity was universal across all investor sizes. Mom-and-pop landlords (Tiers 01-04) and institutional investors (Tier 09) both recorded zero purchases, showing that the market stagnation affected every segment.

The complete absence of acquisitions suggests a market facing headwinds, such as a lack of available inventory, pricing disconnects between buyers and sellers, or broader economic factors causing investors to pause.

The investor landscape in Ellsworth County is overwhelmingly dominated by small-scale landlords. Mom-and-pop investors (owning 1-10 properties) control a combined 92.1% of all investor-owned SFRs.

Single-property landlords (Tier 01) are the largest single group, owning 503 properties, which accounts for 67.4% of the entire investor-held portfolio. This highlights the granular, community-level nature of rental ownership in the county.

Mid-size landlords (11-1000 properties) hold a small fraction of the market, with Tiers 05 and 06 (11-50 properties) collectively owning just 7.9% of properties.

There is a complete absence of large-scale institutional capital. Tier 09 investors (1,000+ properties) own zero properties, signifying that this market is not on the radar of major corporate landlords.

The ownership structure is highly concentrated at the smallest end of the spectrum, with the first four tiers (1-10 properties) comprising nearly the entire market, a stark contrast to more institutionalized regions.

A clear crossover point in ownership structure occurs as portfolio sizes increase. While individuals dominate the small-scale tiers, companies take majority control starting in the 11-20 property tier (Small-medium), where they own 30 of the 37 properties (81.1%).

In the entry-level tiers, individual ownership is paramount. For single-property landlords, individuals own 413 properties (81.1%). This trend continues through the 3-5 property tier (75.0% individual) and 6-10 property tier (75.0% individual).

This pattern indicates that as landlords scale their operations beyond 10 properties in Ellsworth County, they tend to professionalize by forming corporate entities to manage their assets.

The largest portfolios held by companies are in the 11-20 property tier. This tier represents the peak of corporate ownership concentration in the local market.

The data clearly illustrates two distinct investor profiles: individuals who typically manage 1-10 properties, and more structured company owners who operate portfolios of 11 or more properties.

Investor ownership in Ellsworth County is not evenly distributed but is highly concentrated in specific zip codes. The most significant penetration is in 67444, where investors own 65.1% of all SFR properties.

Other areas also show remarkably high investor density. In zip code 67490, investors own 178 properties, representing a 52.0% ownership rate, while in 67450, they own 105 properties for a 45.3% rate.

The region with the largest absolute number of investor-owned properties is zip code 67439, with 229 properties, though its ownership rate of 23.7% is lower than in other hotspots.

This geographic clustering reveals that investor activity is targeted, focusing on specific neighborhoods or towns within the county rather than a broad, county-wide strategy.

The data for zip code 67427 is incomplete, but the available numbers for other regions highlight a market where certain communities have a majority of their housing stock owned by landlords.

A complete lack of historical transaction data for Ellsworth County prevents any analysis of long-term market dynamics. It is not possible to determine if landlords have historically been net buyers or net sellers.

Without buy and sell volumes over time, trends in market liquidity and investor sentiment cannot be established. Key metrics like the buy/sell ratio remain unknown.

Similarly, the data does not allow for an analysis of inter-landlord transactions. The percentage of properties traded between investors, a key indicator of market maturity and insider activity, cannot be calculated.

Price analysis between acquisitions and sales, which could imply profit margins or market timing, is also not feasible. This data gap is significant for understanding the historical behavior of investors in the county.

In Q4 2025, landlord transactions came to a complete standstill in Ellsworth County. With 0 total landlord transactions out of 0 total SFR market transactions, investors' share of activity was 0.0%.

This inactivity was consistent across all investor sizes. Mom-and-pop landlords (Tiers 01-04) and any larger tiers recorded zero transactions, indicating the market pause was widespread and not isolated to a specific group.

Consequently, there was no inter-landlord trading activity. The percentage of properties bought from other landlords was 0%, as no acquisitions of any kind took place.

No pricing data by tier is available for the quarter, as no purchases were made. The average purchase price for all tiers was effectively $0.

This data from Q4 2025 points to an exceptionally quiet or stalled market where neither new capital is being deployed nor are existing assets being traded among investors. For more context on market shifts, see our full market reports dashboard.