Best Places to Live in Topeka, Kansas

Topeka, Kansas is a vibrant city located in Shawnee County. From its historic downtown to its diverse neighborhoods, Topeka has something for everyone. Outdoor enthusiasts will be thrilled with the city's abundance of parks and trails while shoppers will get to enjoy the many stores and restaurants. Education is also top-notch in Topeka with numerous universities and medical centers close at hand making it an ideal place for students or professionals looking to expand their horizons. Whether you’re looking for a place to call home or just want some fun, Topeka definitely won't disappoint! Capital city - Northeast Kansas, 60 miles west of Kansas City.

State: Kansas
County: Shawnee County
Metro Area: Topeka Metro Area
City: Topeka

Zip Codes: 66614, 66604, 66605, 66606, 66607, 66610, 66611, 66609, 66616, 66608, 14 total
Cost of Living: -21.2% lower
Time zone: Central Standard Time (CST)
Elevation: 877 ft above sea level

New! Data for all 32,900 zip codes in one easy-to-use Excel file

Topeka, Ks Housing Market

Least Expensive Homes	Homes Over 2,000 Sq. Ft.
Most Expensive Homes	Homes less than 10 yrs old
All Single Family Homes

Pros
Capital-city amenities
Cost of living
Healthcare

Cons
Economy
Entertainment
Property crime rate

What Bert Has To Say About Topeka Metro Area

Topeka, the capital of Kansas, is also an agricultural, industrial and transportation center serving a large portion of north and central Kansas. Highlights in the traditionally laid-out downtown include the statehouse, Kansas Museum of History, Brown vs. Board of Education historic site, and Heartland Park, a state-of-the-art motorsports complex. Costs of living and housing prices are low, particularly for a capital city. But property crime rates are high for the region and projected job and income growth are low. That said, a low cost of living brings a high Buying Power Index. There isn’t much to do, and the area has lagged behind other Kansas cities aesthetically, socially and economically. Excellent entertainment and cultural amenities are available in the university town of Lawrence, 20 miles east, and in the Kansas City area.

Highlights

ECONOMY

The unemployment rate in Topeka is 3.9% (U.S. avg. is 6.0%). Recent job growth is Negative. Topeka jobs have decreased by 0.5%. More Economy

COST OF LIVING

Compared to the rest of the country, Topeka's cost of living is 21.2% lower than the U.S. average. More Cost of Living or Compare Topeka's Cost of Living

WEATHER & CLIMATE

September, May and June are the most pleasant months in Topeka, while January and December are the least comfortable months. Today's Weather | Climate Averages

VOTING

In the last Presidential election, Shawnee county flipped Democratic, 49.9% to 47.0%. More Voting Stats

POPULATION

Topeka's population is 126,802 people. Since 2020, it has had a population growth of 0.8%. Learn More...

TRANSPORTATION

Average Commute time is 17.0 minutes. The National Average is 26.4 minutes. Learn More...

REAL ESTATE

The median home cost in Topeka is Real Estate: $169,700. Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 9.1%.

SCHOOLS

Topeka public schools spend $12,114 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383. There are about 11.4 students per teacher in Topeka. More Education

Best Places to Live in Topeka Rankings

#31	America's Most (and Least) Stressful Cities (117 Smallest Metro Areas)
#115	America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Smallest Metro Areas)
#197	2005 Best Places to Live
#325	Best Green Cities

View All

Housing Market in Topeka

It's a good time to buy in Topeka. Home Appreciation is up 9.1% in the last 12 months.
The median home price in Topeka is $169,700.

Schools: See Local Schools

Real Estate: See Homes

View More Data >

Reviews for Topeka 28 Reviews

LORETTA LYNN SCARED ME AWAY FROM TOPEKA ): - 10/16/2020
Loretta Lynn says that in... Read More

Dean | Sacramento, CA | Reply | No Replies

Start Your Review of Topeka

Why you shouldn't live in Topeka Kansas - 3/26/2019
I live in Topeka this town is awful A lot of crime has been happening here. I don't suggest moving here. This town is also dying out it's mostly old people, meth... Read More

True | Topeka, KS | Reply | 1 Reply

The best city ever - 12/6/2018
I lived in Topeka most of my life until moving to Katy, Texas...which is a premiere suburb of Houston. Topeka is genuinely missed as it is a superb community to raise a... Read More

Robert | Katy, TX | Reply | 2 Replies

View More Data >

COMPARE COST OF LIVING

Compare Topeka, Kansas to any other place in the USA.

MAPS OF TOPEKA, KANSAS

Check out the latest Maps in a variety of categories including cost of living, population, and commute time. You can also use our New Interactive Map to explore places.

ZIP CODES IN TOPEKA, KANSAS

66614, 66604, 66605, 66606, 66607, 66610, 66611, 66609, 66616, 66608, 14 total

PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP

Members receive 10 FREE city profile downloads a month, unlimited access to our detailed cost of living calculator and analysis, unlimited access to our DataEngine, and more.

Try Now

United States / Kansas / Topeka Metro Area / Shawnee County / Topeka / Zip Codes