Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Kansas? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs in Kansas, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Kansas suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
$185,625 median income · $777,578 median home price
Located in
Johnson County, Kansas
Leawood is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 31,867.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$103,239 median income · $477,848 median home price
Located in
Johnson County, Kansas
Lenexa is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,190. It is bordered by the cities of Shawnee to the north, Overland Park to the east, De Soto to the west and Olathe to the south.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$118,184 median income · $332,798 median home price
Located in
Douglas County, Kansas
Eudora is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States. The city is located along the Kansas and Wakarusa Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,136.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$104,787 median income · $325,994 median home price
Located in
Sedgwick County, Kansas
Andover is a city in Butler County, Kansas, United States, and a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,791.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$88,774 median income · $332,319 median home price
Located in
Johnson County, Kansas
Roeland Park is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,731.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$114,009 median income · $433,117 median home price
Located in
Johnson County, Kansas
Olathe is a city in, and is the county seat of, Johnson County, Kansas, United States. Located in northeastern Kansas, it is the fourth most populous city in Kansas, with a population of 125,872 persons as of 2010. Olathe is also the fourth-largest city in the Kansas City metropolitan area. It is bordered by the cities of Lenexa to the north, Overland Park to the east, De Soto to the northwest, and Gardner to the southwest.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$109,940 median income · $424,763 median home price
Located in
Johnson County, Kansas
Shawnee is a city located in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 62,209.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$94,004 median income · $300,790 median home price
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$112,428 median income · $419,142 median home price
Located in
Miami County, Kansas
Spring Hill is a city in Johnson and Miami counties in the U.S. state of Kansas, and part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,437.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$116,769 median income · $439,342 median home price
Basehor is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is a suburb of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,613.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Kansas’s statewide median.
Kansas statewide median: $74,275
Kansas statewide median: $244,761
On the map
Where Kansas’s best suburbs are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Sunflower State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Kansas. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Kansas, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Kansas across these criteria from one to 29, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Kansas.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Kansas.
Read on to see why Leawood is the ‘burb with the most, while Wellington is probably not the best place to live in Kansas.
The full plate
The Best Suburbs In Kansas
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leawood | 33,809 | $185,625 | $777,578 |
| 2 | Lenexa | 58,384 | $103,239 | $477,848 |
| 3 | Eudora | 6,119 | $118,184 | $332,798 |
| 4 | Andover | 15,965 | $104,787 | $325,994 |
| 5 | Roeland Park | 6,763 | $88,774 | $332,319 |
| 6 | Olathe | 145,057 | $114,009 | $433,117 |
| 7 | Shawnee | 68,542 | $109,940 | $424,763 |
| 8 | Goddard | 6,030 | $94,004 | $300,790 |
| 9 | Spring Hill | 9,120 | $112,428 | $419,142 |
| 10 | Basehor | 7,491 | $116,769 | $439,342 |
| 11 | Gardner | 24,526 | $96,818 | $352,182 |
| 12 | Mission | 9,915 | $75,534 | $330,951 |
| 13 | Bel Aire | 9,043 | $97,795 | $278,866 |
| 14 | Lansing | 11,246 | $102,786 | $321,293 |
| 15 | Mulvane | 6,171 | $74,039 | $235,791 |
| 16 | Maize | 6,824 | $72,024 | $307,838 |
| 17 | Tonganoxie | 5,891 | $80,109 | $373,875 |
| 18 | Derby | 26,062 | $84,112 | $282,214 |
| 19 | Louisburg | 5,094 | $68,824 | $400,547 |
| 20 | Merriam | 11,085 | $73,600 | $326,709 |
| 21 | Valley Center | 8,590 | $77,020 | $260,221 |
| 22 | Haysville | 11,117 | $67,740 | $207,754 |
| 23 | De Soto | 6,414 | $104,000 | $425,984 |
| 23 | Paola | 5,770 | $74,662 | $371,666 |
| 25 | El Dorado | 12,769 | $59,180 | $169,661 |
| 26 | Augusta | 9,216 | $64,919 | $214,258 |
| 27 | Bonner Springs | 7,839 | $83,218 | $300,304 |
| 28 | Newton | 18,397 | $68,885 | $171,182 |
| 29 | Wellington | 7,615 | $50,333 | $110,051 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS via Saturday Night Science. 29 Kansas suburbs within 30 miles of a city over 200,000.
Summary
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Kansas
If you’re measuring the locations in Kansas where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Kansas are Leawood, Lenexa, Eudora, Andover, Roeland Park, Olathe, Shawnee, Goddard, Spring Hill, and Basehor. Not sold on Kansas? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Suburbs In Kansas FAQs
What is the best suburb in Kansas?
Leawood is the best suburb to live in Kansas for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. It pairs a $185,625 median household income with a $777,578 median home value.
What are the best suburbs in Kansas?
The best suburbs in Kansas are Leawood, Lenexa, Eudora, Andover, Roeland Park, Olathe, Shawnee, Goddard, Spring Hill, and Basehor. We ranked all 29 qualifying Kansas suburbs.
What counts as a suburb?
For this ranking, a suburb is a town within 30 miles of a city with more than 200,000 people. 29 Kansas places fit that definition this year.
How do you rank the best suburbs?
Suburbs are scored on home values, income, density, unemployment, commute times, education, insurance coverage, and poverty, using Census American Community Survey data. The best average across all eight wins.
Which Kansas suburb ranked last?
Wellington came in last of the 29 Kansas suburbs we scored. Somebody has to, and the full ordering is in the table above.
