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Topeka, KS
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
125,786
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
38
years ∙ half population younger than 38, half older
Diversity Index
53.5%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
5.1%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Topeka is a city within Shawnee County, Kansas, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC39.034673° N, 95.696191° W
DMS39° 02′ 04.82″ N, 95° 41′ 46.29″ W
Population Density & area
2,032/sq mi
(784.7/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
48.2%
male
Male
48.2%
Female
51.8%
males per 100 females
Topeka
92.9
Shawnee County
94.8
Kansas
100.7
Nativity
5.1%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Topeka
5.1%
Shawnee County
4.1%
Kansas
7.4%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
38
years ∙ half population younger than 38, half older
Dependency ratio
68.9
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Topeka
68.9
Shawnee County
74
Kansas
68.7
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Topeka | Shawnee County | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 22.4% | 23.1% | 23.8% |
| Working age (18-64) | 59.2% | 57.5% | 59.2% |
| Senior (65+) | 18.4% | 19.4% | 17% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 68.9 | 74 | 68.7 |
| Child dependency ratio | 37.8 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 31.1 | 33.8 | 28.6 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
53.5%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Topeka
53.5%
Shawnee County
46.8%
Kansas
44.7%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Topeka population
| Topeka | Shawnee County | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.9% | 13.8% | 13.6% |
| Mexican | 14% | 11.2% | 10.4% |
| Puerto Rican | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Cuban | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 1.4% | 1.4% | 2.3% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 83.1% | 86.2% | 86.4% |
| One race | 76.2% | 79.9% | 81.6% |
| White | 65.1% | 71% | 72.7% |
| Black or African American | 8.5% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 1.3% | 2.9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Some Other Race | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 6.9% | 6.3% | 4.8% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
54.1%
family
Family
54.1%
Non family
45.9%
% family households
Topeka
54.1%
Shawnee County
60.4%
Kansas
63.4%
Average household size
2.21
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Topeka population
| Topeka | Shawnee County | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 54,837 | 75,458 | 1,174,060 |
| Average houshold size | 2.21 | 2.29 | 2.44 |
| Family households | 29,683 | 45,539 | 744,502 |
| Average family size | 2.98 | 2.94 | 3.05 |
| Married couple family | 18,955 | 32,749 | 576,382 |
| Other families | 10,728 | 12,790 | 168,120 |
| Male householder | 2,783 | 3,728 | 52,856 |
| Female householder | 7,945 | 9,062 | 115,264 |
| Non-family households | 25,154 | 29,919 | 429,558 |
| One-person households | 21,536 | 25,674 | 352,785 |
| Male householder | 10,172 | 11,884 | 167,881 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 3,438 | 4,032 | 49,284 |
| Female householder | 11,364 | 13,790 | 184,904 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 5,770 | 7,213 | 95,985 |
| Other living arrangements | 3,618 | 4,245 | 76,773 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
59,868
housing units
Topeka
59,868
Shawnee County
81,075
Kansas
1,293,635
Occupancy status
91.6%
occupied
Occupied
91.6%
Vacant
8.4%
vacancy rate
Topeka
8.4%
Shawnee County
6.9%
Kansas
9.2%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
69.3%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1968
Half of houses were built before 1968, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Topeka | Shawnee County | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.4 | 5.8 | 6 |
| 1–3 rooms | 16.9% | 13.4% | 11.9% |
| 4–6 rooms | 52.2% | 48.2% | 46.3% |
| 7+ rooms | 30.9% | 38.4% | 41.7% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 6.6% | 5.2% | 2.5% |
| 1 bedroom | 10.6% | 8.3% | 9.4% |
| 2 bedrooms | 30.7% | 25.4% | 24.9% |
| 3 bedrooms | 36.5% | 39.9% | 35.7% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 15.6% | 21.1% | 27.5% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1968 | 1973 | 1977 |
| Total housing units | 59,868 | 81,075 | 1,293,635 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
59%
owners
Renter-occupied
41%
Owner-occupied
59%
homeownership rate
Topeka
59%
Shawnee County
66.8%
Kansas
67.2%
Average household size
2.34
Owner-occupied
2.02
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Topeka
2.34
Shawnee County
2.4
Kansas
2.59
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Topeka | Shawnee County | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 54,837 | 75,458 | 1,174,060 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 29.5% | 25.1% | 26.8% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 38.1% | 37.5% | 38.4% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 15.4% | 17.6% | 16.3% |
| 1999 or earlier | 17% | 19.8% | 18.6% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 98% | 98.1% | 97.9% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0.9% | 1% | 1.4% |
| 1.51 or more | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 9.3% | 7.4% | 5.1% |
| 1 vehicle | 40.5% | 34.2% | 30% |
| 2 vehicles | 34.4% | 36.7% | 38.2% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 15.8% | 21.7% | 26.7% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 72.7% | 74.2% | 70.9% |
| Electricity | 25.8% | 24% | 26.9% |
| Solar | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| All other fuels | 0.7% | 1% | 1.7% |
| No fuel used | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| No telephone service available | 1% | 0.9% | 0.8% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$144,200
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
22.3%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Topeka | Shawnee County | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $144,200 | $180,900 | $217,200 |
| Under $100,000 | 32.7% | 23.4% | 20.9% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 37.6% | 32.2% | 24.9% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 16.4% | 22.6% | 21% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 10.6% | 16.7% | 22.4% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 2.2% | 4.5% | 9.3% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1.5% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 56.3% | 57.9% | 57.4% |
| Without a mortgage | 43.7% | 42.1% | 42.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $1,291 | $1,474 | $1,689 |
| Without a mortgage | $554 | $630 | $641 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $979 | $1,000 | $1,060 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
29%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Topeka
29%
Shawnee County
32.2%
Kansas
35.6%
Adults without a high school diploma
8.3%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Topeka
8.3%
Shawnee County
6.7%
Kansas
8.1%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
28,364
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
32%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Topeka | Shawnee County | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 28,364 | 40,223 | 753,280 |
| Nursery / preschool | 5.2% | 5.4% | 6% |
| K–12 | 71.7% | 74.8% | 68.1% |
| Kindergarten | 4.9% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 21.4% | 21.9% | 20.1% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 23.8% | 24.7% | 21.7% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 21.5% | 23.6% | 21.6% |
| College or graduate school | 23.1% | 19.8% | 25.8% |
| College, undergraduate | 19.5% | 16.6% | 20.1% |
| Graduate, professional school | 3.6% | 3.2% | 5.7% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 32% | 31.4% | 39.9% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 85.9% | 85.7% | 85.2% |
| Private school | 14.1% | 14.3% | 14.8% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
84,954
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Topeka | Shawnee County | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 84,954 | 121,584 | 1,946,678 |
| Less than 9th grade | 3.2% | 2.4% | 3.5% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 5.1% | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| High school diploma or GED | 31.6% | 29.8% | 25.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 23% | 22.9% | 21.8% |
| Associate's degree | 8.1% | 8.4% | 9.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29% | 32.2% | 35.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 18.2% | 19.8% | 22.2% |
| Graduate or professional | 10.8% | 12.4% | 13.4% |
| High School or higher | 91.7% | 93.3% | 92% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$47,056
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
5.5%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Topeka | Shawnee County | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $47,056 | $50,646 | $50,504 |
| Less than high school graduate | $31,534 | $31,856 | $35,231 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $36,021 | $38,859 | $39,282 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $46,091 | $47,952 | $45,261 |
| Bachelor's degree | $57,820 | $61,863 | $63,396 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $72,691 | $73,075 | $75,635 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 39.1% | 36.3% | 22.7% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 18.7% | 15.5% | 12.9% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 11.8% | 9.3% | 8.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.5% | 4.5% | 3.8% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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