Topeka, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Topeka, KS Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Topeka | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 112,821 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1784.8 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.17% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.7 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 49,303 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Topeka grew by 5.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 112,821 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Topeka is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.4% of residents. That is 0.5 points below Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 25,268 22.4% -0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 22,420 19.9% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 20,856 18.5% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 20,087 17.8% +1.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Kansas, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.9% of the people living in Topeka and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 48.1% Kansas 50.0%
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Economy
Topeka has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Topeka | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,927 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.84% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Topeka is about 23% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Topeka | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $120,255 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $965 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.4% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Topeka is about 10.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $965 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Topeka spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 126 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Topeka | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.1 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.3 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 126 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,910 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.6% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,076 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,562 | 662 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Topeka is 15 minutes, shorter than the 17 minutes in Kansas.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Topeka has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Topeka | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.1% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.20 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Topeka has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Topeka | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.9% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.0% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Topeka, Kansas.
How big is Topeka, Kansas by population?
About 112,821 people live in Topeka, Kansas, in 49,303 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 35.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Topeka, Kansas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Topeka, Kansas has 1,785 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 21 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Topeka, Kansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.1 times the median household income ($120,255 against $56,927), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $965 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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