City comparison
Lawrence, KS is about 30 miles (50 km) from Overland Park, KS in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 39 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Lawrence, KS to Overland Park, KS takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Overland Park has a population of 196,676, vs 95,103 in Lawrence — about 2.1× larger by population. By land area, Overland Park covers about 75 sq mi vs 35 sq mi for Lawrence.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Lawrence | Overland Park | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,038/mo | $1,378/mo | 32.8% higher in Overland Park |
| Median home value | $247,300 | $361,800 | 46.3% higher in Overland Park |
| Median household income | $59,834 | $100,876 | 68.6% higher in Overland Park |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.3 | ≈ equal (Overland Park slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 89.5 | 89.3 | ≈ equal (Lawrence slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 93.7 | ≈ equal (Lawrence slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 94.3 | 93.9 | ≈ equal (Lawrence slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lawrence, you'd need $107,871 in Overland Park to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lawrence, KS is about 7.3% cheaper overall than Overland Park, KS, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 22% higher in Overland Park than in Lawrence. If you earn $80,000 in Lawrence, you'd need about $86,297 in Overland Park to keep the same standard of living.