Topeka, KS Metro Area
The Topeka, KS metro area is made up of 5 counties in Kansas: Shawnee, Jefferson, Osage, Jackson, and Wabaunsee, largest first. About 233,052 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), about the same as in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 233,052 about the same as in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 5: 1 central, 4 outlying
- Land area
- 3,233 sq mi (8,373 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Kansas
- CBSA code
- 45820
Counties in the Topeka, KS metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee County | Central | 178,607 | 76.6% |
| Jefferson County | Outlying | 18,296 | 7.9% |
| Osage County | Outlying | 15,693 | 6.7% |
| Jackson County | Outlying | 13,438 | 5.8% |
| Wabaunsee County | Outlying | 7,018 | 3.0% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Topeka125,786 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Lawrence, KS Metro Area24 mi east
- Ottawa, KS Micro Area38 mi southeast
- Atchison, KS Micro Area47 mi northeast
- Manhattan, KS Metro Area50 mi west
- Emporia, KS Micro Area51 mi southwest
- Kansas City, MO-KS Metro Area62 mi east
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.