Shawnee County · Kansas · Midwest · 126k residents
Topeka, KS: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Topeka: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Kansas median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,220/wk. Kansas's corporate income tax rate is 6.5%. Commercial electricity averages 11.2¢/kWh.
Compare Topeka side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,220/wk
Corporate income tax
6.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
29%
Commercial electricity
11.2¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Topeka's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
97/100
Heating
Ranks Topeka's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $144,200 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $145 |
| Property tax rate | 1.34% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $760/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,016/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.7% |
| Corporate income tax | 6.5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,220/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29% |
| Commercial electricity | 11.2¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 39.8/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $111,870 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $81,820 |
| Wage: General manager | $85,080 |
| Wage: Customer service | $43,180 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $36,980 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $58,870 |
| Wage: Electrician | $65,520 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $32,820 |
| Cost of living index | 76 |
| Groceries index | 95 |
| Utilities | $165/mo |
| Transit pass | $50/mo |
| Gas price | $3.00/gal |
| Healthcare index | 94 |
| Childcare (per child) | $950/mo |
| Median household income | $56,956 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% |
| Population | 126k |
| Crime index | 48/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 88/100 |
| Avg. commute | 20 min |
| Sunny days / year | 230 days |
| July high | 89°F |
| January low | 19°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -0.4% |
| Home price MoM | +0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +4.9% |
| Rent MoM | +0.8% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +3.2% |
| Building permits YoY | +237.7% |
| Ocean coast | 642 mi |
| Big lake | 66 mi |
| Mountains | 254 mi |
| Major airport | 54 mi |
| Ski resort | 272 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Lawrence, KS · 96k
- Leavenworth, KS · 37k
- Gardner, KS · 25k
- Olathe, KS · 145k
- Manhattan, KS · 54k
Similar size
- Kansas City, KS · 155k
- Shawnee, KS · 69k
- Lenexa, KS · 58k
- Overland Park, KS · 200k
- Salina, KS · 46k
Real listings in Topeka
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Topeka a good place to run a business?
- Kansas's corporate income tax rate is 6.5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,220/wk; commercial electricity averages 11.2¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Topeka, KS?
- Topeka indexes at 76 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,016/mo and a acs median home value of $144,200.
- How much does a house cost in Topeka?
- The acs median home value in Topeka is $144,200 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Topeka?
- A two-bedroom in Topeka rents for about $1,016/mo.