Interim Johnson County appraiser outlines property-value gains and housing supply limits in Olathe

Kara Endicott, interim Johnson County appraiser, presented the county's 2025 reappraisal update to the Olathe City Council on April 1, reporting continued value growth across Johnson County and noting a severe shortage of housing supply that she said is fueling price increases.

Endicott told the council that Olathe's total appraised taxable value is roughly $23 billion, with residential property accounting for approximately $19 billion of that total. She said assessed values — the portion of appraised value subject to taxation under Kansas law — rose about 8% countywide, with much of the increase concentrated in residential parcels. "It's no secret to anyone that right now we have a severe shortage of housing in Johnson County and that it is very much a seller's market," Endicott said.

Endicott explained the methodology used to estimate values, noting that staff rely on closed sales from 2023 and 2024 to set 2025 valuations. She said the average sale price used in the analysis was about $475,000 while average valuation was approximately $437,000 in Olathe — a gap she attributed to the tendency for recent sales to be houses improved for market sale. She said 91% of residential parcels saw increases, though about 74% of those increased by less than 9%.

Councilmembers asked for additional breakdowns. Councilmember Gilmore confirmed that apartments and hotels are counted only when completed; Endicott said units under construction are not added until they are finished. Councilmember Aches asked for a more detailed comparison of apartment price points and affordable-apartment metrics across Johnson County; Endicott said she would provide that data in a future presentation and could share additional slides via email. Councilmember Felder asked about appeal numbers; Endicott said the office received about 6,700 appeals this year out of roughly 230,000 parcels and explained the county's process for selecting comparable sales.

Endicott noted other trends: modest commercial growth driven by industrial development (including new plants named in her presentation), office vacancies depressing some commercial valuations, and ongoing reductions in personal property taxable base due to legislative exemptions. She said the county had added nearly 1,890 apartment units last year and had additional units in various stages of pipeline development.

Endicott described the county's statutory and procedural obligations when valuations are disputed and reminded residents of the payment-under-protest process when tax statements are issued in December. Council members requested more granular apartment and city-by-city breakdowns; Endicott said those details would be provided to the council and are also available in the county's valuation book on the county website.

No formal action was taken; the presentation was informational.