Kansas City vs Topeka
The short version
- Topeka is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Kansas City area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $144,200 in Topeka and $242,900 in Kansas City.
- Households earn more in Kansas City ($69,166 vs $56,956 median).
- Kansas City is growing faster: +2.6% since 2020 vs -0.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Topeka (17 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | Topeka, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 521,220 | 125,795 |
| Growth since 2020 | +2.6% | -0.6% |
| People per square mile | 1,657 | 2,032 |
| Median age | 35.8 | 38.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38% | 29% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $69,166 | $56,956 |
| Median home value | $242,900 | $144,200 |
| Home value to income | 3.5× | 2.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,238 | $979 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.5 | 88.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 86.6 | 65.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,400 | $66,600 |
| Homeowners | 55% | 59% |
| Top state income tax | 4.7% | 5.58% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.44% | 8.71% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.7 | 16.7 |
| Work from home | 17% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.4% | 4.9% |
| Poverty rate | 14.6% | 15.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 22° | 40° / 20° |
| July high / low | 90° / 72° | 90° / 69° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 37 in |
| Snowfall per year | 11 in | 17 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 47 | 50 |
| Nights below freezing | 93 | 114 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 96.5 | 88.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 49% | 64% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.2% | +5.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +42.4% | +47.6% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Kansas City: April and September to October. Topeka: April and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Kansas City weather by month and Topeka weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $69,400 in Kansas City and $66,600 in Topeka. Moving from Kansas City to Topeka, you would need about $72,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Kansas City and Topeka
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Kansas City and Topeka.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.