Metro Life Score
Topeka, KS
Top-quartile composite Life Score — grade A-, 89th percentile of the national corpus.
- 61.0
- Life Score / 100
- A-
- Grade (curved)
- #43
- of 387 metros
- 89%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Topeka is top-quartile composite Life Score — #43 of 387 (61.0/100, grade A-, 89th percentile). Carried by childcare at 99/100; held back most by safety at 16/100.
- 89th
- composite percentile
- #43
- of 387 peers
- 82nd
- cost dimension percentile
- 50th
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · TOP · BALANCED · signature composite
Topeka: top-third composite Life Score
Topeka clears the top third of US metros on composite Life Score (#43 of 387, 61.0/100, grade A-, 89th percentile). Stamps TOP · BALANCED; cost CHEAP (82nd) · wages MID (50th). Childcare at 99/100 carries the lead; Safety (16/100) is the residual gap. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Topeka, KS ranks #43 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #71 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 88.8 (rent-RPP 65.0). BLS median salary $64,149, 108,560 jobs (Fast Food and Counter Workers, Registered Nurses, Home Health and Personal Care Aides). HUD 2BR FMR $1,057/mo (studio $792).
FBI UCR (KS): 456 violent, 2090 property/100K. NCES: 12.9:1 ratio, 0.7% charter. DOL infant childcare $5,783/yr. EPA: 20 Superfund sites (KS).
Where Topeka sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
61 Top 11% higher than 89% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 61.0 is built
Topeka's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Topeka scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are KS state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Topeka With...
Ranking Context
Topeka outranks 89% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #40 | Twin Falls, ID * | 61.1 | A- |
| #41 | Wheeling, WV-OH | 61.2 | A- |
| #42 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 61.2 | A- |
| #43 | Topeka, KS | 61.0 | A- |
| #44 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 61.0 | A- |
| #45 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 60.8 | A- |
| #46 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 60.7 | A- |
Quality vs. Affordability
Topeka, KS's quality rank (top 11% highest-quality) and affordability rank (top 18% most affordable) sit close together -- an unusually proportionate metro where overall quality and cost-of-living move together.
KS Metro Scores
Read with Topeka
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Topeka (TOP · BALANCED · CHEAP/MID), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
ABS(composite) peer at 61.0 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade A- vs this page's TOP · BALANCED · CHEAP/MID.
Twin Falls, ID *
ABS(composite) peer at 61.1 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade A- vs this page's TOP · BALANCED · CHEAP/MID.
Grand Forks, ND-MN
ABS(composite) peer at 61.2 (Δ 0.2 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade A vs this page's TOP · BALANCED · CHEAP/MID.
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
ABS(composite) peer at 61.2 (Δ 0.2 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade A vs this page's TOP · BALANCED · CHEAP/MID.
Duluth, MN-WI (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 82/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp CHEAP vs this metro's CHEAP.
Ames, IA (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 82/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp CHEAP vs this metro's CHEAP.
Topeka, KS relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for TOP · BALANCED · CHEAP/MID - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Topeka's top-third Life Score
Topeka scores 61.0/100 overall, but Childcare (99.4) and Safety (16.3) sit 83.1 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Childcare is the strongest of Topeka's seven dimensions (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Safety is the weakest (weighted 15% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Lawrence is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Lawrence
A high composite is a weighted blend; it does not mean every dimension is strong.