Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Topeka.

About Topeka, KS

Topeka is the state capital and Shanee County’s seat of government. The 2020 census counted 126,587 living in the city. The larger Topeka Metropolitan Area includes the five connected counties of Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, Shawnee, and Wabaunsee. Over 230,000 people live in the Topeka Metropolitan Area.

A phrase from the Native American Kansa-Osage language was the inspiration to give the town its name, To-Pe-Ka. In English, it means “a good place to dig for potatoes.” In 1855, the founders named the town Topeka because it is a nice-sounding phrase, easy to pronounce, and in recognition of the native people who lived there.

Topeka is best known for the famous legal case during the 1960s of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which progressed through the lower courts and then was tried before the U.S. Supreme Court. In that case, The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This ruling resulted in students being bussed to different schools to balance the races.

In contemporary times, Topeka is a lively, diverse college town with plenty of young people having fun while pursuing a college degree.

What to do in Topeka, KS

Topeka has many attractions and amenities. Here are some enjoyable things to do:

• Features: America's oldest operating dinner theater is the Topeka Civic Theater, which opened in 1936 and has continued its uninterrupted run of performances since that time.
• Events: Popular annual seasonal events include the Winter Miracle on Kansas Avenue, the Summer Country Stampede, and the Fall Huff ‘n Puff Hot Air Balloon Festival.
• Museums: Museums to visit include the Mulvane Art Museum, the Kansas Museum of History, the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, and the motorcycle-daredevil-rider Evel Knievel’s Museum.
• Destination: Enjoy the nearby Kansas River and go boating or fishing on Lake Shawnee.

Working in Topeka, KS

The unemployment rate in this city is 3.9%, which is low. The Topeka local economy depends on health care, hospitality, retail, public administration, manufacturing, and education. The median household income is $50,870 per year. While that's enough to get by, it is still about $18,000 lower than the national average household income of $69,021. The economy is declining despite the low unemployment rate or maybe because of it. Topeka's predicted job growth rate for the next decade is very low at 23.9%, which is awful compared to the prediction for national growth of 33.5%.

The industries offering the most jobs are professional services (4.0%), hospitality/tourism (5.8%), construction (6%), finance/insurance (6.2%), education (7.2%), public administration (9.9%), and healthcare (12.2%).

Topeka, KS Neighborhoods

Topeka has both new and well-established neighborhoods. The most expensive luxury homes are found on the southwestern side of the city, with median prices of around $300,000 to over $350,000.

Here are some of the nicer neighborhoods with homes that list for under $300,000:

• Horne Park: This neighborhood is newer. Most of the homes were built between 1970 and 1999. Some were constructed after 2000. The median real estate price is $289,388. This price is more expensive than 57.9% of Kansas. Most homes are owner-occupied. The houses are large, with three to six bedrooms. The vacancy rate is modest at 4%.
• Brookfield Park: The median real estate price is $248,413. Rental homes are available for an average rent of $1,597 per month. The vacancy rate is 1.7%, making it hard to find a place to rent.
• NE Indian Creek Rd / NE 82nd St: The median real estate price in this nice neighborhood is $272,909. Apartments are available to rent for $1,474 monthly. The vacancy rate is 1.6%, so finding a place to rent is very difficult.
• West Southwest 2: This neighborhood's median real estate price is $293,678. This area has a mixture of homes and apartment complexes, including some high-rise apartment buildings. The average rent is $1,257 per month. The vacancy rate is 13.6%.

Topeka, KS School District

Topeka Public Schools is the administrator of the public school system. The school district spends around $15,469 per student yearly on educational services. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12 to one, which is a nice small size for a class.

Topeka has 12 private schools. The top three best-ranked ones are Heritage Christian School (PK to 12th), Cair Paravel Latin School (PK to 12th), and Hayden Catholic High School (9th to 12th).

Within a 50-mile radius, there are 11 colleges and universities. Washburn University is a four-year public school in the city. About 24 miles from Topeka, the University of Kansas is in the town of Lawrence.

Moving to Topeka, KS Resource Guide

The city government has a mayor and nine members on the City Council. The mayor and council members are elected for a four-year term with unlimited re-election possibilities, as there are no term limits.

Shawnee County Parks and Recreation manages the public parks with trails, picnic areas, and playgrounds. The county also takes care of the recreation centers, sports facilities, aquatic centers, and golf courses. There are many sports programs, fitness programs, and other activities for all ages, including seniors.

Topeka, KS Housing

The median home price in Topeka is $185,500, trading up by 8.3% year-over-year. It is a balanced market with about the same number of houses for sale as there are potentially interested buyers.

One great thing about Topeka is that the cost of living is extremely low. It is 10% lower than other Kansas cities and 22% lower than the national average for the entire country.