City comparison
Springfield, MO is about 175 miles (300 km) from Topeka, KS in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 45 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 Springfield, MO to Topeka, KS takes about 22 min, covering roughly 175 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.
Springfield has a population of 168,873, vs 126,431 in Topeka — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 83 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 | Springfield | Topeka | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $878/mo | $926/mo | 5.5% higher in Topeka |
| Median home value | $146,400 | $124,700 | 17.4% higher in Springfield |
| Median household income | $43,450 | $54,052 | 24.4% higher in Topeka |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Springfield slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 86.4 | 89.2 | 3.3% higher in Topeka |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 94.1 | 0.8% higher in Topeka |
| Healthcare index | 93.6 | 94.3 | 0.8% higher in Topeka |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Springfield, you'd need $100,467 in Topeka to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield and Topeka have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Springfield, you'd need about $80,374 in Topeka to keep the same standard of living.