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The Kansas State Capitol, Topeka, KSMegan Burns / Unsplash

Moving to Topeka, Kansas

Topeka pays new residents up to $15,000 through Choose Topeka Relocation Incentive. Here is what life costs in Shawnee County, home of Topeka, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $15,000Paid to move hereChoose Topeka Relocation Incentive
  • $180,900Typical home value1Shawnee County
  • $1,000Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 178,607Population-0.2% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to Topeka

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in Kansas

Made the move: Tyler in Topeka

A real move, as reported in the news. Slower Sundays is not affiliated with this person or the program.
The Kansas State Capitol, Topeka, KSNils Huenerfuerst / Unsplash

From the news

Tyler moved to Topeka from San Jose, California in 2020

“the best living experience I've ever had in my life”

Tyler left San Jose in October 2020 after Silicon Valley housing costs kept homeownership out of reach. Through Choose Topeka he bought a three-bedroom house for $47,000, and a year later he said he had no plans to ever leave.

Source: Good Morning America (ABC News), December 2021

Did you know?

Visitors can climb 296 steps to the top of the Kansas Statehouse's 306-foot dome in Topeka, the second tallest of the nation's 38 traditional dome capitols.

Source: Visit Topeka, read November 2026

A fact about Topeka

What it costs to live in Topeka

Shawnee County next to Kansas and the US.1
MeasureShawnee CountyKansasUnited States
Typical home value$180,900$217,200$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,474$1,689$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$1,000$1,060$1,413
Typical household income$67,104$74,275$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners66.8%67.2%65.2%
Households with broadband89.4%90.7%91.0%
Average commute, one way18 min20 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $994 a month2.

Current home prices, rent and weather for Topeka

Jobs and work in Shawnee County

  • 77,340Jobs at local employers2023, +1.3% vs 2022
  • 3,959Employer businesses2023
  • 10,342Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 89.4%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

61.4% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 17.9 minutes, and 32.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 464 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Topeka

Current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in Topeka

Notable places in Shawnee County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Lake Shawnee
  • Gage Park
  • Rice Park
  • Ripley Park
  • Santa Fe Park

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Topeka Zoo
  • Kansas Historical Society
  • Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
  • Jayhawk Theatre
  • State Library of Kansas

Colleges and universities

  • Washburn University

Sports and recreation

  • Yager Stadium

Thinking about Topeka? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

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Moving to Topeka: questions people ask

Does Topeka pay you to move there?

Yes. Choose Topeka Relocation Incentive: $15,000 cash. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in Topeka?

In Shawnee County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $180,900 and median gross rent is $1,000 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Kansas: $217,200 and $1,060. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $994 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Topeka a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Shawnee County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population fell 0.2% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Topeka?

89.4% of households in Shawnee County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). Check the program rules for job requirements.

What is there to do in Topeka?

Notable places in Shawnee County include Lake Shawnee, Gage Park, Topeka Zoo, Kansas Historical Society, Washburn University. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Other Kansas towns that pay you to move

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page