City comparison
Overland Park, KS is about 50 miles (90 km) from Topeka, KS in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 Overland Park, KS to Topeka, KS takes about 7 min, covering roughly 50 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 126,431 in Topeka — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Overland Park covers about 75 sq mi vs 62 sq mi for Topeka.
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 | Overland Park | Topeka | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,378/mo | $926/mo | 48.8% higher in Overland Park |
| Median home value | $361,800 | $124,700 | 190.1% higher in Overland Park |
| Median household income | $100,876 | $54,052 | 86.6% higher in Overland Park |
| Groceries index | 94.3 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Overland Park slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 89.3 | 89.2 | ≈ equal (Overland Park slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 93.7 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Topeka slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.9 | 94.3 | ≈ equal (Topeka 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 Overland Park, you'd need $89,504 in Topeka to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Topeka, KS is about 10.5% cheaper overall than Overland Park, KS, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% higher in Overland Park than in Topeka. If you earn $80,000 in Overland Park, you'd need about $71,603 in Topeka to keep the same standard of living.