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 capital of Kansas and the county seat of Shanee County, with a population of 126,587 (2020 U.S. Census). It is part of the larger Topeka Metropolitan Area, with over 230,000 people living in the five neighboring counties of Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, Shawnee, and Wabaunsee.

The name of the city comes from the Native American Kansa-Osage language. In English, it means “the place where we dig for potatoes.” Topeka’s founders chose the name for the new town in 1855. The city was one of the first Free-State towns developed by men from the eastern seaboard who were against slavery. The city got its official charter in 1857.

From 1928 to 1932, a Native American born in Topeka, Charles Curtis, served as the vice president of the United States under President Herbert Hoover’s administration. He is the only Native American to hold this office.

Topeka is best known for the legal case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which went to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

In contemporary times, Topeka is famous for its craft beer, golf courses, and fun to be had in this college town.

What to do in Topeka, KS

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

• Features:  The Kansas River runs along the northern side of the city past the area where you can find the Topeka Zoo and an outdoor mural on the Topeka Graffiti Wall.
• Events: Popular annual events include celebrations of the holidays and seasons such as, the Spring St. Patrick's Day Celebration and Parade, the Summer Country Stampede, Fall Huff ‘n Puff Hot Air Balloon Festival, and the Winter Miracle on Kansas Avenue.
• Museums: Museums to visit include the Kansas Museum of History, the Museum of Kansas National Guard, the Combat Air Museum, the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, the Mulvane Art Museum, and the crowd-pleaser, Evel Knievel Museum.
• Destination: Lake Shawnee, on the southeast border of the city, is the perfect place to go boating and fishing.

Working in Topeka, KS

The Topeka local economy depends on health care, hospitality, public administration, retail, manufacturing, and education. The unemployment rate is 3.9%. The median household income is $50,870 per year, which is about $18,000 lower than the national average of $69,021. The economy is shrinking despite the low unemployment rate. Topeka's predicted job growth rate for the next decade is 23.9%, which is bad compared to the prediction for the national growth of 33.5%.

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

Topeka, KS Neighborhoods

Topeka has many well-established neighborhoods. The most expensive homes are found in the southwestern part of the city.

Here are the neighborhoods with the best houses:

• SW 53rd Street / SW Fairlawn Road: This neighborhood is expensive. Most of the homes were built between 1970 and 1999. The median real estate price is $361,900. This price is more expensive than 83.8% of Kansas. Most homes are owner-occupied. The houses are large, with three to six bedrooms. The vacancy rate is low at 2.6%.
• Auburn Road / SW 53rd Street: The median real estate price in this nice neighborhood is $338,199. Apartments are available to rent for $3,257 monthly, which is very expensive. The vacancy rate is 7.8%, so finding a place to rent is not very difficult if you can afford it.
• SW 10th Avenue / SW Auburn Road:. The median real estate price is $296,964. Rental homes are available for an average rent of $1,803 per month. The vacancy rate is 6.7%.
• Cullen Village / Pauline: This neighborhood's median real estate price is $293,678. This area has a mixture of homes and townhomes. The average rent is $1,952 per month. The vacancy rate is 9.3%.

Topeka, KS School District

The public school district is Topeka Public Schools. The school district spends around $15,469 annually per student. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12 to one, which is a nice size for a class.

There are 12 private schools in the Topeka area. The top three private schools are Cair Paravel Latin School (PK to 12th), Hayden Catholic High School (9th to 12th) and Heritage Christian School (PK to 12th).

The public four-year Washburn University is in the city, and 11 other schools are within a 50-mile radius. The University of Kansas is in Lawrence, about 24 miles from Topeka.

Moving to Topeka, KS Resource Guide

Topeka’s municipal government consists of an elected mayor and nine elected members serving on the City Council. They are elected for a four-year term. There are no term limits.

Shawnee County Parks and Recreation manages the public parks with recreational facilities, trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, sports facilities, aquatic centers, and golf courses. There are many programs with activities for all ages.

The Topeka Civic Theater is America's oldest operating dinner theater, which has offered performances since 1936.

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 homes listed for sale as there are interested buyers.

The cost of living in Topeka is extremely low. Areavibes gives the city an A+ ranking for its low cost of living. It is 10% lower than other cities in Kansas and 22% lower than the national average for the United States.