Watch out, Kansas (Wichita, Kansas City, Topeka: sales, crime rate, home)

[Shuffler]

Prepare for more greed and speculation?

Marketwatch article

[AnywhereElse]

I checked out the article. I noticed it did not mention how high ALL taxes are in KS due to less population, and the politicians still wanting to spend a lot of money on "pork" for the most part. We have high sales tax, high personal property tax, and add that Topeka has a serious crime problem - just check out their newspaper, and when a city isn't large, it is more difficult to avoid criminal areas. In order to purchase a home there, it is VERY important to first have a job there, and to know all about the area where the home is, and that applies to every city listed! In lower cost of living areas, one has lower wages more often than not. I have seen people not understand how COL works fail miserably, and end up losing big time.

Looking down the list, I would check the COL and crime rates in all of those cities. Always have a job first, and a plan for if you lose that job, as in, could I find another job that would support me there.

I live fairly close to Topeka, and I would just avoid it. The smaller towns in KS can be cheaper and with less crime, some not all, but then you are dealing with a lack of shopping, medical and other services, which if you are used to having a generous choice, will be difficult to adapt to.

https://www.wibw.com/2023/01/04/tope...-capital-city/

• After a double-digit decrease of violent crime incidents in 2021, violent crime went up 2.7% in Topeka in 2022. The number of violent crimes in 2022 in Topeka was listed at 986, up 26 from the 960 listed in 2021.

https://kansasreflector.com/2023/10/...ging-for-hope/

32 homicides so far this year, to include 4 children this month (leave the kids with Grandma).

[GraniteStater]

Too funny, they're always pushing Topeka when it remains the worst capitol city of its size anywhere in the country, regardless of the depressed housing prices.
Numbers 3,4,5, and 6 are far better cities on that list than numbers 1 and 2.

[Shuffler]

Topeka was featured pretty consistently in COPS episodes ... so there's that LOL

[Harold1962]

eventually, you have to figure people who earn $100k per year who are living in Fresno to commute to San Francisco to work, paying $1850 for a decent 3-bedroom, for those people, Kansas City and Wichita (not to mention all the other affordable inland cities) are going to start looking pretty good.

[empires228]

Y’all just remind me why most of us have stopped posting here lol. I regret checking to see the same people up to the same ramblings as a decade ago.

[sluggermatt15]

Originally Posted by Harold1962

eventually, you have to figure people who earn $100k per year who are living in Fresno to commute to San Francisco to work, paying $1850 for a decent 3-bedroom, for those people, Kansas City and Wichita (not to mention all the other affordable inland cities) are going to start looking pretty good.

Probably paying more than that for three bedrooms.

What is your take on Topeka?

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by sluggermatt15

Probably paying more than that for three bedrooms.

What is your take on Topeka?

If you can work remotely, then there are lots of affordable places in the KC metro. Especially in the next few years with the Sprint death unfolding. Middle of the country so easy travel, moderate climate, great for snowbirds.

But things go in cycles. Let's see.

[SonySegaTendo617]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Too funny, they're always pushing Topeka when it remains the worst capitol city of its size anywhere in the country, regardless of the depressed housing prices.
Numbers 3,4,5, and 6 are far better cities on that list than numbers 1 and 2.

Topeka and Salem(OR, as a side note) seem like they both get a bad reputation for state capitol cities on C-D message board discussions, for whatever reason. Is it because these 2 cities never attracted more companies and businesses to open there? They both seem to struggle with getting their crime rate down.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Looks like the Midwest is making a come-back.