METRO AREA
Topeka Metro
Topeka, KS · 5 counties · 233,052 residents (2025 est.) · 3,233 sq mi
Time machine
VIEWING
COMPARE TO
The short version
Topeka is a metro area of 232,468 people. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $183,516. 3% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Renters pay $955 a month at the median. 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 27%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
232,468
+4%since 2000
from 224,551 in 2000
233,052 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
3,233 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024232K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(13,154)
5 to 96.1%(14,144)
10 to 147%(16,334)
15 to 196.8%(15,736)
20 to 245.8%(13,574)
25 to 3411.7%(27,178)
35 to 4412.4%(28,916)
45 to 5411.4%(26,410)
55 to 6413.5%(31,306)
65 to 7411.8%(27,338)
75 to 845.7%(13,266)
85 and over2.2%(5,112)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$69,483
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $41,125 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
47.4%
+20.1 ptssince 2009
from 27.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade10%
Information9.3%
Wholesale trade7.5%
Other services7.1%
Finance & insurance7%
Public administration6%
Professional, scientific, technical5.4%
Transportation & warehousing2%
Education & health services1.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
Construction1.3%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$183,516
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $79,258 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
2.6
+14%since 2009
from 2.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
21
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic83.5%(187,516)
Black6.7%(15,110)
Hispanic / Latino5.9%(13,138)
Asian0.7%(1,662)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic75.2%(174,760)
Black5.1%(11,972)
Hispanic / Latino11.6%(26,917)
Asian1.1%(2,515)
Other7%(16,304)
51
+27%since 2009
from 40 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
34
−10%since 2020
from 38 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican9.4%(21,747)
Puerto Rican0.9%(2,139)
Central American0.5%(1,036)
Guatemalan0.2%(444)
South American0.2%(414)
Nicaraguan0.2%(413)
Spaniard0.2%(337)
Cuban0.1%(213)
Argentine0.1%(153)
Colombian0.1%(127)
Dominican0.1%(105)
Salvadoran0.1%(105)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.1%(100)
Honduran0%(54)
Paraguayan0%(18)
Panamanian0%(13)
Ecuadorian0%(13)
Costa Rican0%(7)
Uruguayan0%(1)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(818)
Filipino0.2%(453)
Chinese0.2%(389)
Korean0.2%(337)
Japanese0.2%(288)
Vietnamese0.1%(197)
Bangladeshi0%(89)
Uzbek0%(40)
Thai0%(38)
Cambodian0.1%(27)
Laotian0%(10)
Burmese0%(6)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pakistani0%(1)
Ancestry
German23.4%(54,297)
English16.9%(39,213)
Irish11.7%(27,242)
American5.1%(11,813)
Italian1.9%(4,420)
Scottish1.9%(4,317)
French1.8%(4,245)
Swedish1.8%(4,109)
Dutch1.1%(2,486)
Polish1%(2,421)
Norwegian0.9%(1,987)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(1,961)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.8%(1,786)
Czech0.5%(1,199)
Subsaharan African0.4%(996)
Danish0.4%(857)
British0.3%(765)
Swiss0.3%(683)
Russian0.3%(627)
French Canadian0.2%(408)
Ukrainian0.2%(376)
Arab0.1%(289)
Lithuanian0.1%(287)
Hungarian0.1%(271)
West Indian0.1%(248)
Belgian0.1%(214)
Canadian0.1%(213)
Austrian0.1%(205)
Croatian0.1%(188)
Portuguese0.1%(188)
Jamaican0.1%(178)
Greek0.1%(176)
Nigerian0.1%(167)
Lebanese0.1%(138)
Finnish0%(98)
Slovak0%(90)
Romanian0%(83)
Brazilian0%(54)
Ghanaian0%(53)
Iranian0%(46)
Australian0.3%(41)
Haitian0%(34)
Armenian0%(32)
Somali0%(24)
Slovene0.1%(22)
Latvian0%(21)
Israeli0%(19)
Syrian0%(16)
Turkish0.1%(14)
Palestinian0%(10)
Ethiopian0%(8)
Kenyan0%(7)
Egyptian0%(5)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
93.5%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 88.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.7%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 76.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
94.1%
+4.7 ptssince 2020
from 89.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.2%(29,598)
Married53%(48,713)
Widowed3.2%(2,956)
Divorced11.6%(10,633)
Women 15+
Never married25.8%(25,017)
Married49.5%(47,955)
Widowed9.7%(9,405)
Divorced15%(14,559)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
15.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 16.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
3.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.9%
−2.8 ptssince 2020
from 76.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.5%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 32.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)26.9%(3,881)
Gulf War (1990s)23.5%(3,397)
Vietnam era38.5%(5,568)
Korean War4.7%(675)
World War II0.5%(74)
Share of the 14,452 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro
Largest cities
TopekaCENTRAL125,795Holton3,396Osage City2,784Silver Lake1,316Carbondale1,296Auburn1,272Rossville1,088Oskaloosa1,060Valley Falls1,055Lyndon1,032Overbrook985Burlingame925Perry848McLouth832Vassar832Alma830Meriden709Scranton637Maple Hill628Ozawkie617Hoyt593Nortonville579Tecumseh457Winchester440Eskridge427Alta Vista401Mayetta353Melvern340Quenemo286McFarland274
The 30 most populous of 45 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
5 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Topeka
Athens
Pop 224,148
Panama City
Pop 231,174
Punta Gorda
Pop 217,212
Prescott Valley
Pop 252,552
Places similar to TopekaHead to head
Compare Topeka side by side
TOPEKA VS
Athens
Income$69,695same
Home value$314,999+72%
Population224,148−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
TOPEKA VS
Panama City
Income$71,687+3%
Home value$293,695+60%
Population231,174−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
TOPEKA VS
Punta Gorda
Income$69,952+1%
Home value$328,900+79%
Population217,212−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
TOPEKA VS
Prescott Valley
Income$69,613same
Home value$425,200+132%
Population252,552+8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Topeka, KS?
Topeka, KS has about 232,468 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Topeka, KS?
The typical household in Topeka, KS earns about $69,483 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Topeka, KS expensive?
In Topeka, KS, the median home is worth about $183,516, and the typical rent is about $955 a month.
How educated are people in Topeka, KS?
About 30.1% of adults age 25 and over in Topeka, KS hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Topeka, KS?
About 11.5% of people in Topeka, KS live below the federal poverty line.
Has Topeka, KS grown since 1990?
Yes, Topeka, KS has grown since 1990. The population has added about 22,211 residents, a change of about 11 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here
DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024