
A popular nickname for Topeka is Golden City referring to sunshine pouring down on its hills and valleys as well as soil color. Other nicknames for Topeka are T-Town and Top City. The official moniker for Kansas is The Sunflower State.
Topeka was the site of the historic class-action lawsuit filed by 13 African-American parents against Topeka’s Board of Education protesting the school policy of segregating their children. As a result, Chief Justice Earl Warren ruled on May 17, 1954 that schools were no longer to be segregated by race.
Research website numbeo lacks sufficient data to rank the Kansan capital on its comprehensive global quality of life rating which benchmarks 250 cities worldwide. Numbeo does evaluate Topeka on several individual factors. For instance, Topeka rates relatively well for traffic commute time (fastest), property price to income ratio (lowest) and pollution (cleanest 35%). However, Topeka’s scores are relatively poor for health care (worst 13%), safety (most dangerous 17%) and climate (worst 26%).
Topeka was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the starting point for the costliest hailstorm ever, known as the Tristate Hailstorm. Hailstones as large as 2.75 inches (7 centimeters) in diameter caused up to an estimated US$3 billion in overall economic damage.
In addition to hailstorms, tornadoes also pose a significant meteorological risk to Topeka residents.
Topeka’s biggest employer is the State of Kansas.
From an international trade perspective, Kansas state exported U$11.615 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2019. Its most valuable exports include civilian aircraft including engines and other parts (19.2% of global exports from Kansas), fresh or chilled beef (7.5%), wheat (4.9%), soya beans (4.6%), frozen beef (2.5%), radio navigational aids (2.1%), corn (2%), dog or cat food (1.5%), grain sorghum (1.4%), and new rubber tires (1.1%) to United States Census Bureau data.
The non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Topeka was 7.2% as of June 2020, up from 3.2% one year earlier.
Capital Facts for Topeka, United States: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, Cedar Crest, Heartland Park Topeka race track and Ward Meade Park
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Topeka, United States.
- Annette Bening, Academy Award-nominated actress (born May 29, 1958)
- Kerry Livgren, guitarist & songwriter (born Sep. 18, 1949)
- Margaret Murdock, Olympic shooting silver medalist (born Aug. 25, 1942)
- Rich Williams, rock guitarist (born Feb. 1, 1950)
- Aaron Crow, MLB baseball pitcher all-star (born Nov. 10, 1986)
- Anna Seaton, Olympic rowing bronze medalist (born Feb. 12, 1964)
- Chris Barnes, professional bowler (born Feb. 25, 1970)
- Mike McNulty, actor (born Jul. 6, 1988)
- Sue Rose, cartoonist & Fido Dido character (born Jul. 2, 1954)
- Chris Babb, professional basketball player (born Feb. 14, 1990)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches of published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Topeka resident: Topekan
Population: 125,092 (Topeka) at August 22, 2020
Density: 2,036 people per square mile (786 per square kilometer)
Population: 2,910,360 (Kansas) at August 22, 2020
Density: 36 people per square mile (14 per square kilometer)
Financial
Real GDP: US$10.066 billion in 2018 (Topeka)
Real GDP per person: $79,950
Note: The above GDP metrics are on a current basis and are in 2012 Chained U.S. dollars.
Official currency used in Topeka: U.S. dollars
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Dilemma X, U.S. Census Bureau metropolitan population estimates July 1, 2016.
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Total Real Gross Domestic Product for Topeka, KS (MSA).
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Unemployment Rate in Topeka, KS (MSA).
Forbes Global 2000, The World’s Biggest Public Companies.
Guinness World Records, Costliest hailstorm.
Nations Online, Capital Cities of the USA.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Official Government Website, City of Topeka official website.
The Topeka Capital-Journal, Topeka credit union seeking to box up Guinness world record for ‘world’s largest paper basket’.
United States Census Bureau, Foreign Trade: State by 6-Digit HS Code and Top Countries.
United States Census Bureau, State Population Totals Tables: 2010-2016.
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: Seasonally Adjusted Metropolitan Area Estimates.
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Gross Domestic Product by Metropolitan Area, 2015 (Tables Only).
Wikimedia Commons, Topeka city flag.
Wikipedia, Kansas.
Wikipedia, List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas.
Wikipedia, Topeka, Kansas.
Wikipedia, Topeka, Kansas metropolitan area.
World Population Review, Topeka Population.
Topekans celebrate Independence Day as a national holiday each July 4.
Topeka’s land area occupies 61.44 square miles (159.14 square kilometers). The state capital’s population was 125,092 Topekans at August 22, 2020.
At the state level, Kansas covers a land area measuring 81,759 square miles (211,754 square kilometers). It is home to 2.9 million people in August 2020.
Topeka’s population density is more concentrated averaging 2,036 residents per square mile (786 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to state land boundaries, population density for Kansas dilutes to an average 36 inhabitants per square mile (14 per square kilometer).