Topeka’s Housing Market Is Strong — But Strength Alone Won’t Meet Demand
By Bob Ross, President, Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce
Topeka’s housing market is often described as resilient, and the data backs that up. In January, the Topeka metropolitan area reported a median home sale price of $190,000, up from $170,000 a year earlier. Homes sold in just 19 days on average and closed at 100 percent of their list price. Compared to Northeast Kansas overall, where homes lingered on the market more than twice as long and sold below asking price, Topeka stands out as a place where demand is real and confidence remains high.
That strength, however, also reveals a challenge: we are not building enough homes to keep pace.
Recent data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows that Shawnee County trails peer counties when it comes to new housing permits. Comparing the five years before the 2008 housing crisis to the most recent five-year period, Shawnee County has seen a decline of roughly two-thirds (-66%) in average annual new housing permits. Meanwhile, counties like Johnson (-28%) and Sedgwick (-18%) have rebounded more strongly. In simple terms, Topeka is growing, but our housing supply is not keeping up.
And we are growing. Since 2020, Topeka and Shawnee County have added nearly 2,000 new residents, and the local economy has grown by nearly 6 percent. In 2023, The Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com ranked Topeka as the nation’s top emerging housing market, highlighting our ability to weather rising interest rates and homeownership costs better than many larger metros. Employers are expanding, people are choosing to move here, and the fundamentals are strong.
But without enough new housing, especially accessible housing for middle-class families, those gains become harder to sustain. That is why the Chamber is closely monitoring legislation that could help remove barriers to housing production. Recently, the Kansas Senate passed Senate Bill 418, the By-Right Housing Development Act, with strong bipartisan support. The bill is designed to streamline housing approvals while maintaining safety standards and reasonable local oversight.
If a proposed housing development meets existing zoning and land-use rules, it would be approved “by right,” without discretionary delays. Municipalities would be required to review and issue a decision within 15 days. If that deadline is missed, qualified third-party reviewers could step in to keep projects moving. For developers, predictability matters. Carrying costs and financing delays can add thousands of dollars to a home before construction even begins. A timely, transparent process reduces risk and helps projects pencil out.
The bill also provides flexibility for single-family homes under 3,000 square feet by allowing municipalities to accept the 2018 International Residential Code. This does not eliminate safety standards, but it allows builders to avoid certain requirements that have been shown to add significant costs. Developers may still choose to build to newer standards, but the added flexibility could make some homes more affordable.
In addition, SB 418 clarifies zoning rules to make it easier to add single-family homes, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units in areas already zoned for residential use. Infill development, building within existing neighborhoods rather than pushing growth outward, is often one of the most cost-effective ways to expand housing supply.
No single bill will solve Topeka’s housing challenges. But the data is clear: demand is here. People want to live and work in Topeka. The question is whether we will create the conditions that allow housing supply to respond. If we want Topeka’s momentum to continue, housing must move from conversation to action.