Map the Block › Places › Kansas › Shawnee County
What are the crime rate and median income in Shawnee County, Kansas?
FBI reports put Shawnee County at 7.0 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 53% higher than the rate for Kansas (4.6). The median household earns $67,104 and the unemployment rate was 4.5% in August 2026. About 178,025 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Shawnee County?
Police agencies in Shawnee County reported an average of 1,244 violent crimes and 5,441 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 7.0: 53% higher than the Kansas rate (4.6), and 89% higher than the national rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 30.6 per 1,000 residents, compared with 21.2 across Kansas. Aggravated assaults make up 83% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 19 homicide deaths a year in the county (10.6 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Shawnee County | Per 1,000 | Kansas per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,244 | 7.0 | 4.6 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 20 | 0.11 | 0.05 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 77 | 0.43 | 0.48 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 120 | 0.67 | 0.33 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 1,027 | 5.8 | 3.7 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 5,441 | 30.6 | 21.2 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 1,012 | 5.7 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 3,639 | 20.4 | 15.7 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 790 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (5 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Shawnee County?
The median household in Shawnee County earns $67,104 a year, close to the Kansas median ($74,275). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $180,900, and the median rent is $1,000 a month. 9.0% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 6.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.5% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 4,191 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Shawnee County | Kansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 178,025 | 2,947,197 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $67,104 | $74,275 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $180,900 | $217,200 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,000 | $1,060 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.1% | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 12.7% | 11.3% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 9.0% | 6.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 32.2% | 35.6% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 66.8% | 67.2% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 39.4 | 37.4 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 89.4% | 90.7% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 8.6% | 8.8% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Shawnee County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Shawnee County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Moderate”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are tornadoes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
No active Superfund site is listed in Shawnee County. 1 former site has finished cleanup and been taken off EPA's National Priorities List: Hydro-Flex Inc.. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 17 high-hazard dams in Shawnee County. 5 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 8 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Lake Shawnee (76 ft) and Lake Sherwood (68 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
8 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 1,473,215 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Shawnee County was covered by 1 federal major disaster declaration from 2016 through 2025 (Winter Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 1 of 366 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 9 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 24 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 4 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Shawnee County?
Shawnee County had 13 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Roads listed: I-70, US 24 and I-335. 9 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Shawnee County?
Shawnee County has 54 public schools (2024-25) and 10 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 15 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 23 fire or EMS stations and 13 police or sheriff stations. National Park Service sites here: Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park. 1 state park or recreation area: Kaw River State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Shawnee County
Gun shops
10 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Shawnee County (8 from the ATF licensee list, 2 from OpenStreetMap), plus 21 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 4 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Academy Sports + Outdoors #225 (Topeka), Capitol City Pawn & Jewelry (Topeka), Capitol City Pawn & Jewelry #1 (Topeka), Highland Crest Pawn (Topeka), Integrity Gun & Pawn LLC (Topeka), Kull Auction & Real Estate Co INC (Topeka), Point Blank Weapons (Topeka) and Walmart #1802 (Topeka).
Liquor stores
35 liquor stores are on the map in Shawnee County: Aquarian Liquor (Topeka), Barrel House Liquor (Topeka), Beck's Liquor Store (Topeka), Brookwood Retail Liquor (Topeka), Bryan's Liquor (Auburn), Charlie's Liquor (Topeka), Coca-Cola Bottling (Topeka), College Hill Liquor Store (Topeka) and 27 more. Kansas has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Shawnee County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Shawnee County?
Shawnee County averaged 1,244 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 7.0 per 1,000 residents, 53% higher than the Kansas rate (4.6). The property-crime rate was 30.6 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Shawnee County?
$67,104 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $74,275 for Kansas and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Shawnee County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.5% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 4,191 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Shawnee County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Shawnee County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Moderate”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are tornadoes (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Shawnee County?
No active Superfund site is listed in Shawnee County. 1 former site has finished cleanup and been taken off EPA's National Priorities List: Hydro-Flex Inc..
Is there road construction in Shawnee County right now?
Shawnee County had 13 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Roads listed: I-70, US 24 and I-335. 9 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Shawnee County?
15 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Shawnee County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 120,302 | 4.0 | $69,746 |
| Jackson County | 13,341 | 2.0 | $75,215 |
| Jefferson County | 18,349 | 1.8 | $81,278 |
| Osage County | 15,744 | 2.7 | $74,467 |
| Pottawatomie County | 26,204 | 1.9 | $92,325 |
| Wabaunsee County | 7,009 | 3.3 | $76,908 |
Cities in Shawnee County with their own page: Topeka.
More: Kansas statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
Home · Open the map · All places · About the data · Privacy · Terms