Living in Topeka, KS
Mid-size city in Kansas
Topeka is a mid-size city in Kansas, home to about 126,000 people, with 252,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Topeka a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $205k and rents for $1,390 a month
- Strong healthcare: 3 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Dog-friendly: 4 dog parks within 9 mi
- Low natural disaster risk: 8 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Smaller job market: about 252,000 people live within 31 mi
- Higher taxes: about $1,592 state income tax per resident, 1.52% property tax
- Fewer family amenities than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Topeka ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Topeka: common questions
What is the cost of living in Topeka?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $205k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,390 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 89, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Topeka?
Kansas collects about $1,592 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.52% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Topeka safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (1.9× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Topeka?
Topeka has cold winters: winter days average around 43°F and summer days around 87°F, with roughly 17″ of snow a year.
Does Topeka get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and tornadoes: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.08 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Topeka?
The nearest major airport is MCI, about 56 mi away.
How Topeka scores
Each bar compares Topeka with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Topeka right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.