City comparison
Shawnee, KS is about 50 miles (80 km) from Topeka, KS in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 60 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 Shawnee, KS to Topeka, KS takes about 6 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.
Topeka has a population of 126,431, vs 67,671 in Shawnee — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Topeka covers about 62 sq mi vs 42 sq mi for Shawnee.
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 | Shawnee | Topeka | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,168/mo | $926/mo | 26.1% higher in Shawnee |
| Median home value | $306,800 | $124,700 | 146.0% higher in Shawnee |
| Median household income | $100,649 | $54,052 | 86.2% higher in Shawnee |
| Groceries index | 94.3 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Shawnee slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 89.3 | 89.2 | ≈ equal (Shawnee 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 Shawnee, you'd need $90,126 in Topeka to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Topeka, KS is about 9.9% cheaper overall than Shawnee, KS, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 33% higher in Shawnee than in Topeka. If you earn $80,000 in Shawnee, you'd need about $72,101 in Topeka to keep the same standard of living.