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Choose a Financial Advisor in Riley County, KS
Riley County centers on Manhattan, a college town with a median age of 25.5 and more renters than owners. A financial advisor in Riley County can help recent graduates pay down loans and help university staff plan retirement. We connect you with advisors who work with Riley County by phone or video.
- Free, no-obligation first conversation
- By phone or video, on your schedule
- Advisors who serve the Riley County area
Updated October 2026. Local figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Talk through your Manhattan money plans
Whether you rent near campus or own land past Tuttle Creek, tell us your goal and we will find an advisor who works with Riley County.
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To find a financial advisor in Riley County, pick your main goal, compare two advisors who work with Manhattan area clients by phone or video, and check each on FINRA BrokerCheck. People here often need help with student loans, saving to buy a first home, university retirement plans and rental property near campus.
Riley County facts that shape a plan
- Riley County has 72,598 residents, per the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, with a median age of 25.5.
- Only 46.1 percent of homes are owner occupied, so renting is the norm in Manhattan.
- 48.9 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, per the ACS 2020 to 2024.
- The median owner cost with a mortgage is $1,761 a month, about 35 percent of the $61,098 median income.
- 10.0 percent of residents are 65 or older, so most planning is for working-age households.
Looking for a financial advisor in Riley County means planning in a college town. Manhattan is the county seat and home to Kansas State University, and the U.S. Census Bureau 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey puts the median age at just 25.5. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate counts 72,598 residents.
Riley County at a glance: who works with a financial advisor in Riley County
Riley County is young and mostly renting. In the same ACS figures, only 46.1 percent of occupied homes are owner occupied, 48.9 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher and 10.0 percent of residents are 65 or older. The median household income is $61,098, below the $74,275 Kansas median, and the unemployment rate is 3.8 percent.
Student households likely pull the income median down. Many of the people who call an advisor here are graduates who stayed in Manhattan, university and hospital staff, and landlords who own a few rentals near campus. The median home value is $237,100.
What does the Riley County housing math look like?
Buying is expensive relative to local pay. An owner with a mortgage at the median spends about 35 percent of median household income on housing, based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020 to 2024 figures.
| Figure | Monthly | Yearly | Share of $61,098 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner cost with a mortgage | $1,761 | $21,132 | 34.6 percent |
| Median gross rent | $1,046 | $12,552 | 20.5 percent |
| Six month reserve (half of income) | $30,549 | 50 percent | |
| 1 percent deductible on $237,100 | $2,371 | 3.9 percent | |
| 2 percent deductible on $237,100 | $4,742 | 7.8 percent |
Renting at the median costs about $8,580 less a year than owning with a mortgage, which is part of why so many Manhattan households keep renting after graduation. A renter who saves the difference for three years would have about $25,700 toward a down payment. Kansas hail and wind season makes the deductible lines worth knowing before a spring storm. For anyone retiring at 62, Medicare starts at 65, so plan for three years of health premiums.
Retirement planning in Riley County
Retirement planning here often starts with a public employer plan. Staff at a state university usually have a pension or a defined contribution plan plus a 403(b), and the rules can differ by hire date, so read your plan documents first.
Kansas changed its treatment of Social Security benefits in 2024 and no longer taxes them for most residents, and it has no estate or inheritance tax. Kansas treats public and private pensions differently. Confirm current rules with the Kansas Department of Revenue before you plan around them. Only 10.0 percent of residents are 65 or older, so many locals planning retirement are in their 40s and 50s with time to adjust. See our retirement planning guide.
Send your plan statements and a target age, and a financial advisor will show what each account can pay you each year.
Investment advisors in Riley County
An investment advisor helps you choose a fund mix and keep costs down. For a 28 year old in Manhattan with a first real paycheck, that may be a Roth IRA and a workplace match.
Take a hypothetical lab technician earning $50,000 who puts 6 percent into a 403(b) with a matching contribution. Starting at 25 instead of 35 adds ten years of growth, which often matters more than fund choice. Our investing basics guide explains index funds and Roth accounts.
Wealth management in Riley County
Wealth management combines investments, taxes and estate documents for households with more at stake. Locally that often means a professor with a pension and rental houses, or a family with Flint Hills ranch ground.
A financial advisor in this role checks how rental income is taxed, how land is titled and who inherits it. Our estate planning guide covers wills and beneficiary forms, and the tax planning guide explains rental depreciation basics.
Life insurance for Riley County families
Young families need term coverage most, since they have the longest stretch of income to replace. Military households and university staff should compare group coverage at work with a private term policy that stays put when they move.
A hypothetical Manhattan couple with one child and a $220,000 mortgage might look at a 20 year term policy sized to the loan plus several years of living costs. Read our life insurance guide to compare policy types.
Who needs a financial planner in Riley County?
Recent graduates with student loans are the largest group that can use help here, and a planner can sort out repayment plans and an emergency fund. Renters saving for a first house are close behind.
In a county where more than half of households rent, a written budget is the first tool. Start with budgeting and saving, and if you carry student or card balances, read debt management next. Parents can find college savings basics too.
What does a financial advisor cost in Riley County?
How do most advisors charge?
Through a yearly percentage of assets, a flat planning fee, an hourly rate or commissions. Get the yearly cost written down before you sign anything.
What would a percentage fee cost a young saver?
For a hypothetical Manhattan worker with $40,000 invested, a 1 percent fee is $400 a year. A flat plan priced at $1,500 would cost more up front but nothing after.
Is hourly advice an option for students and new grads?
Yes. Two hours at a hypothetical $200 an hour, or $400, can cover a loan repayment plan and a first budget.
Tell us what you need, from loan repayment to a rental property, and a financial advisor will quote the cost in dollars before you commit.
College town money: renting, rentals and Tuttle Creek
Kansas State shapes the local economy. The school year sets the rhythm for rents, especially for anyone who owns a rental house near Aggieville or campus.
Landlords should plan for summer vacancies and for the tax side of depreciation. Homeowners around Tuttle Creek Lake, north of Manhattan, have their own insurance questions. Graduates who stay often move from a shared rental to a first home within a few years, and the jump from $1,046 rent to a $1,761 owner cost, both ACS medians, is the hurdle to plan for.
If you rent out a room or a house in Manhattan, keep income and repair records in a separate account from day one. It makes tax time and any later sale much simpler.
Areas we serve in Riley County
Advisors we work with meet residents by phone or video. That includes Manhattan, Ogden, Leonardville, Randolph and the town of Riley, along with ranch country in the Flint Hills and homes near Tuttle Creek Lake and the Kansas River.
Share where you are, from a first job on campus to a paid-off ranch house, and we will set up a call with a good match.
How to choose a financial advisor in Riley County
Use this table to compare at least two advisors.
| Question to ask | Why it matters here |
|---|---|
| How are you paid, in dollars per year? | Young savers with small balances feel fees the most. |
| Have you worked with state university retirement plans? | Plan rules differ by employer and hire date. |
| Are you listed on FINRA BrokerCheck or the SEC adviser search? | A public record shows past complaints. |
| Who holds my money? | An outside custodian in your name keeps assets separate. |
| Can we meet by phone or video? | It fits class schedules and moves. |
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a financial advisor in Riley County, KS?
Decide whether you need help with student loans, a first home or a pension, then compare two advisors who work with Riley County residents by phone or video. Look both up on FINRA BrokerCheck and get each quote as a yearly dollar figure.
Is it better to rent or buy in Manhattan, Kansas?
On Riley County ACS medians, renting costs $1,046 a month and owning with a mortgage costs $1,761. Buying makes more sense if you plan to stay several years and have a down payment and a cash reserve set aside first.
Does Kansas tax Social Security for Riley County retirees?
Kansas changed its rules in 2024 and no longer taxes Social Security benefits for most residents. Riley County retirees should confirm current rules with the Kansas Department of Revenue, since pension treatment varies by source. See our tax planning guide.
I work at a state university in Manhattan. Where do I start?
Read your plan documents to see whether you are in a pension or a defined contribution plan, then check your 403(b) match. An advisor who works with Riley County can show how both pieces add up by retirement age. Our retirement planning guide helps.
Should I buy a rental house near campus in Riley County?
A rental near campus in Riley County can produce steady income, but landlords should plan for summer vacancies and repairs between tenants. Run the numbers with a cash reserve of several months of rent. Our budgeting and saving guide covers reserves.
How should a new graduate in Riley County handle student loans?
List each loan with its rate, compare federal repayment plans, and put any extra money toward the highest rate first. A Riley County planner can also check whether a workplace match is worth taking before extra payments. Read our debt management guide.
Learn before you talk to an advisor
Debt Management
Strategies for paying down credit cards and loans without losing momentum.
Read the guide →
Budgeting and Saving
Build a budget you will keep and an emergency fund that lets you sleep.
Read the guide →
Investing Basics
Stocks, bonds, funds, risk and diversification, explained without the jargon.
Read the guide →Plan your Riley County finances with an advisor
A free, no-obligation conversation by phone or video. Tell us a little about your goals and we will take it from there.