Cost of living in Topeka research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Topeka is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Kansas, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Topeka is 81, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Topeka is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Topeka ranks as the #12 cheapest in Kansas out of 63.
Topeka ranks as the #290 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Topeka is $106,500.
The median income in Topeka is $50,870.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Topeka has an overall cost of living index of 81, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Kansas, Topeka has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Kansas's index of 87.
The standard of living in Topeka ranks as #12 most affordable out of the 63 places we measured in Kansas. By definition, that implies Topeka ranks as the #51 most expensive place in the Sunflower State.
For more reading on life in Topeka, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Topeka. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Topeka is 87.
The Groceries index in Topeka is 88.
The Health index in Topeka is 101.
The Housing index in Topeka is 62.
The Transportation index in Topeka is 97.
The Utilities index in Topeka is 98.
Living Expense | Topeka | Kansas | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 81 | 87 | 100 | |
Services | 87 | 90 | 100 | |
Groceries | 88 | 95 | 100 | |
Health | 101 | 98 | 100 | |
Housing | 62 | 70 | 100 | |
Transportation | 97 | 93 | 100 | |
Utilities | 98 | 102 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Kansas, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Topeka is $106,500.
The Median Rent in Topeka is $865.
The Median Income in Topeka is $50,870.
The Home Value To Income in Topeka is 2.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Topeka is 0.2x.
Statistic | Topeka | Kansas | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $106,500 | $164,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $865 | $912 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $50,870 | $64,521 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.1x | 2.6x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Topeka. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Olathe, KS has a cost of living index of 101, 1.2x Topeka.
Lawrence, KS has a cost of living index of 90, 1.1x Topeka.
Shawnee, KS has a cost of living index of 99, 1.2x Topeka.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Topeka |
---|---|---|---|
Olathe, KS | 140,339 | 101 | 1.2x |
Lawrence, KS | 94,745 | 90 | 1.1x |
Shawnee, KS | 67,021 | 99 | 1.2x |
Lenexa, KS | 56,755 | 105 | 1.3x |
Manhattan, KS | 54,794 | 94 | 1.2x |
Gardner, KS | 23,065 | 97 | 1.2x |
Lansing, KS | 11,321 | 98 | 1.2x |
Basehor, KS | 6,717 | 101 | 1.2x |
Eudora, KS | 6,457 | 91 | 1.1x |
De Soto, KS | 6,160 | 97 | 1.2x |