students visiting a coffee shop in downtown lawrence

Living in Lawrence

Lawrence is a wonderful place to live with many amenities and housing options.
From modern, furnished apartments to historic homes, on-campus and off-campus housing, single-family homes and cooperative housing communities, there are many different ways to make your home on The Hill. Lawrence also has a few shopping districts and grocery options for all your needs!

KU Graduate Housing Guide

On-Campus Housing

Graduate students are welcome to live in a number of residence halls.

Visit the KU Student Housing website for more information about residence halls.

KU also has two on-campus apartment buildings where most grad students who live on campus reside:

Stouffer Place Apartments 

Jayhawker Towers

Off-Campus Housing

Lawrence offers a number of different housing options including student-focused apartment complexes, single-family homes, and cooperative housing communities. There are many options and we encourage incoming students to begin their search with the KU Grad Housing Guide from VeryApt which provides reviews from KU grad students, unit costs, amenities, and tips. 

 

Tips

  • 1. Secure your housing early as many options are filled in the spring and early summer. Many leases begin in the first week of August for off-campus housing.

  • 2. If you’re new to the area, reach out to current graduate students in your department or your graduate support staff for places to start looking that are close to campus or include a KU shuttle.

  • 3. 10% of grad students buy homes in the area if they are planning on being in Lawrence for a number of years.

  • 4. Housing costs can vary from $300-$1100 per month plus utilities depending on the type of housing and location.

Resources

Shopping & Entertainment

Massachusetts Street (Downtown Lawrence): Generally called “Mass Street,” this is one of the main shopping, entertainment, and dining hubs in Lawrence. A historic district, Mass Street is home to casual and fine dining, locally-owned and national retail shops, and numerous bars and entertainment/music venues. Explore the street on your own, or check out Unmistakably Lawrence for details on everything Mass Street has to offer.

We also have Final Fridays here - where many stores become mini art galleries. Info on Final Fridays can be found on the Unmistakably Lawrence website.

South Iowa Street: Located near 31st Street South and Iowa Street, this district holds a number of “big box” stores (Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, Menards, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc), as well as restaurants and a movie theatre.

West 6th Street between Kasold and Wakarusa Streets: Home to the newest shopping district in Lawrence, there are a number of stores, restaurants, and shopping options here.

Ask grad students and faculty for recommendations outside of these three areas!

Grocery Stores, Farmers Markets, and International Food Markets

Lawrence has a number of grocery stores, farmers markets, and international food markets. Here are a few of the most popular:

  • Dillon’s - this is a regional grocery store chain with 4 locations in Lawrence. Make sure to get a Dillon’s card to receive fuel points and discounts.

 

  • Hy-Vee - also a regional grocery chain with one location in West Lawrence at 23rd and Kasold Street. Hy-Vee also has a fuel points card. 

 

  • Checker’s - at 23rd and Louisiana Street, this is a discount (and awesome!) grocery store with a great selection of international foods and ingredients. 

 

  • The Merc - a community-owned cooperative grocery store with a hot bar and juice/coffee bar located on the corner of Iowa Street and 9th Street. 

 

  • Aldi - international discount supermarket chain located on South Iowa street. Like Checker’s, it has a good selection of international foods and ingredients. 

 

  • Mediterranean Market and Cafe - located at 15th and Kasold contains a small market with products from Greece, the Middle East, Italy, India, and Pakistan. 

 

  • F Mart - an Asian grocery store in East Lawrence. 

 

  • La Estrella - Mexican market and cafe located on 23rd Street