Population 7,262 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Topeka
Household size in Topeka
| Period | Topeka | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.65 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.95 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 4.05 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.81 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.15 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Topeka are large by national standards, averaging 3.81 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 3.65, even as the national average fell. Only one other Indiana city with 5,000+ people has larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Topeka
| Period | Topeka | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.6 | 37.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 23.4 | 38.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 23.8 | 39.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 25.9 | 39.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 25.9, Topeka is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward families with many children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 23.6, in line with the national trend. Of the 187 Indiana cities with 5,000+ people, only three are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Topeka
| Period | Topeka | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.6% of households in Topeka, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 4.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only two of the 187 Indiana cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Topeka
Renters in Topeka
| Period | Topeka | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 28.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.9% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.4% | 30.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 29.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 16.0% of households in Topeka rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About three in ten owners (29.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 1.7 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Topeka
| Period | Topeka | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Topeka: just 5.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.2 points, as it has nationally. Topeka has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Indiana cities.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Topeka
| Period | Topeka | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1991 | 1977 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Topeka is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1991, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the south has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Topeka
| Period | Topeka | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $720 | $763 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $594 | $819 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $696 | $903 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $870 | $1,146 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$150 | +$384 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Topeka costs $870 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $150 a month from 2006–10, a 21% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 23.5% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Topeka
Bachelor's degrees in Topeka
| Period | Topeka | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 23.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 24.6% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 27.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 30.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Topeka have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 5.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has edged up 1.2 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Topeka has the lowest share of college graduates of any Indiana city with 5,000+ people.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Topeka
| Period | Topeka | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.5% | 86.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 33.6% | 87.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 33.8% | 88.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 29.9% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About seven in ten adults in Topeka never finished high school, well above the national share: only 29.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate rose. Topeka has the lowest share of high school graduates of any Indiana city with 5,000+ people.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Topeka
| Period | Topeka | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.9% | 4.9% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Topeka than nationally: unemployment was 4.4%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.9 points, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Topeka compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka | 3.81 | 25.9 | 3.6% | 16.0% | 5.4% | 1991 | $870 | 5.7% | 29.9% | 4.4% |
| Witmer Manor | 3.19 | 35.5 | 6.7% | 11.3% | 26.5% | 1981 | $717 | 16.3% | 69.0% | 1.3% |
| Valentine | 3.71 | 26.2 | 5.7% | 15.2% | 16.4% | 1990 | $665 | 17.7% | 60.5% | 1.1% |
| Wawaka | 3.30 | 29.9 | 5.0% | 5.3% | 10.8% | 1982 | $857 | 17.5% | 67.1% | 3.5% |
| Millersburg | 4.03 | 24.1 | 6.5% | 12.6% | 3.3% | 1987 | $965 | 9.1% | 48.8% | 3.7% |
| Shipshewana | 3.38 | 30.2 | 2.5% | 17.1% | 9.6% | 1990 | $857 | 7.2% | 39.3% | 1.7% |
| Ligonier | 3.12 | 28.9 | 10.2% | 29.3% | 9.6% | 1979 | $870 | 12.3% | 61.5% | 3.1% |
| Lagrange | 2.95 | 38.3 | 10.5% | 23.2% | 11.3% | 1974 | $812 | 13.2% | 71.5% | 5.6% |
| Wolcottville | 2.81 | 41.3 | 10.2% | 13.3% | 27.9% | 1975 | $821 | 14.4% | 78.4% | 3.1% |
| Rome City | 2.59 | 47.3 | 11.1% | 16.7% | 25.0% | 1969 | $925 | 20.6% | 82.9% | 3.4% |
| Shady Nook | 2.84 | 36.7 | 13.4% | 20.6% | 21.7% | 1962 | $801 | 10.5% | 78.9% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rochelle Park, NJ · Keyes, CA · Kingfisher, OK · Kingston, GA · Kirtland, OH · Kountze, TX · Lagrangeville, NY · Laingsburg, MI · Lake Carmel, NY · Red Oak, IA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Topeka. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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