Should I Move To
Roughly 67,671 people live in Shawnee, Kansas. Living here costs affordable relative to the rest of the country, 9% below the national average. Median rent runs about $1,168/mo; the typical household pulls in $100,649. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 47/100 — a D, putting it at #628 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Shawnee sits at 91 — affordable when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,168/mo against $100,649 median household income), housing eats roughly 14% of a typical paycheck — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Buying-side, the median home value is $306,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is varied: roughly 87°F in summer, 22°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 39 inches. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Air quality reads good (AQI 47).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Shawnee is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 56/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on job market (92/100); weakest on walkability (0/100).
For retirees, Shawnee isn't the strongest match. It earns 38/100 (grade F) on the retirees profile. Strongest on job market (92/100); weakest on walkability (0/100).
For remote workers, Shawnee isn't the strongest match. It earns 45/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on job market (92/100); weakest on walkability (0/100).
For young professionals, Shawnee isn't the strongest match. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on job market (92/100); weakest on walkability (0/100).
Shawnee, Kansas pulls a 47/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade D), currently ranked #628 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Shawnee's cost-of-living index is 91 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the affordable band — 9% below the national average. Median rent runs about $1,168/mo.
Varied — summer averages around 87°F, winter averages around 22°F, with about 39 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 0/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Shawnee has about 67,671 residents, 50% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 38.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Shawnee head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Shawnee stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Shawnee with other Kansas cities scored on UrbRank.
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