Could someone tell me if Topeka has a lot of tornados that plow through there. Also, if there are things to do in Topeka without having to drive to Kansas City. Also how is the cost of living? Thanks to anyone with info.
Topeka and TornadosContrary to what Hollywood would have you believe, Kansas doesn%26#39;t fight tornados day in and day out. :)
I lived in Topeka about 15 years ago and still have friends there. However, they tell me it has changed a lot since I lived there. Much more crime. As far as cost of living, it is probably about average for larger cities in Kansas -- not too high or too low in other words.
Entertainment wise, I never really stayed in Topeka for fun. We always came to Kansas City or Lawrence.
Topeka and TornadosPeak time for tornados is in the Spring when (in a very basic, simplistic explanation) cool dry air and hot, moist air collide. Kansas is only a very small piece of ';tornado alley.'; Infact, several years back I read a book about tornados and up to that time, that book stated that actually Iowa had more tornados that Kansas! (I don%26#39;t believe that to necessarily to be true now, but I do hope it does illustrate a point.) (The Wizard of Oz has really made Kansas notorious!)
I was an official storm spotter when I lived around Wichita (we have sinced moved to north central Kansas) during that entire time I saw several wall clouds (storm cells that could likely produce tornados or funnels) but very few tornados. Infact, I actually have seen cold air funnels more than tornados.
I would say that by living in Louisianna, you have more of a likelyhood of experiencing a tornado spawned from a hurricane than experiencing one while visiting Topeka--even during tornado season.
Topeka has some VERY interesting and informative sites and attractions, but would not necessarily be considered a place for nightlife as many would think it. I would visit Lawrence or KC for those. Wichita is a very artsy town, believe it or not and I would put it%26#39;s symphony up against KC%26#39;s any day!! BUT Topeka makes a great place to visit as it has some great museums, Swope park is fun and interesting, but zoo is expensive for what you get (Wichita zoo is much better and is part of a ';family'; of zoos where you can buy a season pass and get into other ';sister'; zoos on that pass--one such sister zoo is the Tulsa, OK zoo which is a real delight.) I have visited many state capital buildings and our capital building is actually architeturally one of the best and has a very interesting history, although a few years ago, the tour guides just weren%26#39;t as interesting as some that we have experienced elsewhere--may have been the individual guide, though.
Topeka is a great place to ';springboard'; into the very BEAUTIFUL flint hills. The small towns between Topeka and Junction City are real gems in themselves and should not be missed. A drive into the flint hills is a must if you visit Kansas. You can stop in Alva and purchase a very nice assortment of some very tasty and hearty country cheeses from their cheese factory as well as visit the antique stores down town. You will find that Kansas is really an antique mecca in that inexpensive antique stores can be found in just about every rural town in the state. All along I-70 there are signs of local winerys with one at Paxico and Salina%26#39;s award winning Smoky Hill Winery as well as small local winery%26#39;s in the flint hills. The flint hills has some very nice bed and breakfasts as well. So...it depends on what you are looking for as far as entertainment--open up your eyes to all the small town benefits that are around Topeka!!
Cost of living is very reasonable if we are comparing it to the rest of the nation. Kansas typically ranks fairly high in property taxing, but quality of living is usually considered very high. Kansas has always ranked very high in health care and education. (Infact, according to Dr. Sweet, leading athority on HIV/AIDS, Kansas%26#39; high AIDS numbers are due to the fact that people come back to Kansas for the end stages of their disease.)
As far as for living in Kansas...Topeka would not be my choice. It has become notorious for it%26#39;s gangs and isn%26#39;t known for having the best schools in the state. Cost for value, though, Topeka is still ';a good buy.';
Kansas and Topeka both have ALOT to offer--be creative (you can do just about anything in Kansas that you can do elsewhere such as ice climbing on silos) and adventurous (lots of places to sky dive and hang glide) or just relax and enjoy the subtle beauty that abounds!
I%26#39;ve lived about 60 miles from Topeka for 21 years. Haven%26#39;t seen a tornado yet, though I have seen large hail.
Although only an hour from KC, Topeka mostly has its own events and there are people there that haven%26#39;t been to KC in years.
The cost of living in this part of the country is much lower than the coasts.
Although there are some interesting things in Topeka and I occasionally spend the day there, it has never appealed as much to me, as other communities in the region. If I was to take a job there, I would consider moving to Lawrence and commuting.
To the best of my knowledge Topeka has only had one really bad tornado and that was 40 years ago. Housing in this part of the country is very cheap compared to other parts of the U.S. You can buy a nice 3- 4 bedroom house with established trees ,lawn etc. for $125,000. These are homes built in the 1960%26#39;s %26amp; 70%26#39;s. Not this plywood and plastic crap being built now.
The climate is not too bad except for July%26amp;August which is usually hot and humid. With a few exceptions winter has been a non- factor for the last 10 years. Last January our temp. averaged over 50 degrees.
Lawrence, which is 25 miles from Topeka ,is a great town. The University of Kansas is there which makes for many things to see and do.
As for taxes we rank 25th overall in total tax liability.
';Kansas
The Facts on Kansas’ Tax Climate
Here are some basic facts on Kansas’s tax system and how it compares to other states:
Tax Freedom Day Arrived on April 22nd in Kansas
Tax Freedom Day is the day when Americans finally have earned enough money to pay off their total tax bill for the year. In 2006, Kansas taxpayers had to work until April 22nd (ranked 26th nationally) to pay their total tax bill, four days before National Tax Freedom Day (April 26th). The Tax Freedom Days of neighboring states were: Nebraska, April 23rd (22nd); Missouri, April 18th (35th); Oklahoma, April 14th (47th); and Colorado, April 22nd (23rd).
Full study of Tax Freedom Day, nationwide and in each state
Kansas’ State/Local Tax Burden Above Average
Estimated at 10.7% of income, Kansas’s state/local tax burden percentage ranks 18th highest nationally, and above the national average of 10.6%. Kansas taxpayers pay $3,885 per-capita in state and local taxes.
Kansas%26#39; State-Local Tax Burden, 1970-Present
Kansas’ 2006 Business Tax Climate Ranks 34th
Kansas ranks 34th in the Tax Foundation%26#39;s State Business Tax Climate Index. The Index compares the states in five areas of taxation that impact business: corporate taxes; individual income taxes; sales and gross receipts taxes; unemployment insurance taxes; and taxes on wealth, including residential and commercial property. The ranks of neighboring states were as follows: Nebraska (43rd), Missouri (20th), Oklahoma (17th), and Colorado (12th).
50-State Comparison of Business Tax Climates
Kansas’ Individual Income Tax System
Kansas’s personal income tax system consists of three separate brackets with a top rate of 6.45%, kicking in at an income level of $30,000. That top rate ranks 22nd highest among states levying an individual income tax. Kansas’s 2004 individual income tax collections were $701 per person, which ranked 22nd highest nationally.
50-State Table of Individual Income Tax Rates
Kansas’ Corporate Income Tax System
Kansas’s corporate tax structure consists of two brackets with a top rate of 7.35%, kicking in at an income level of $50,000. Among states levying corporate income taxes, Kansas’ rate ranks 23rd highest nationally. In 2004, corporate tax collections reached $61 per capita, ranking the state 36th highest among states that tax corporate income.
50-State Table of Corporate Income Tax Rates
Kansas Levies Sales Tax above National Median; Gasoline Tax among Nation%26#39;s Highest
Kansas levies a 5.3% general sales or use tax on consumers, which is just above the national median of 5%. State and local governments combined collect approximately $908 per capita in general sales taxes, ranking 15th nationally. Kansas’s gasoline tax stands at 25 cents per gallon, which ranks 10th highest nationally. Kansas%26#39; cigarette tax stands at 79 cents per pack of twenty and ranks 25th nationally. The sales tax was adopted in 1937, the gasoline tax in 1925 and the cigarette tax in 1927.
50-State Table of Sales and Excise Tax Rates
Kansas Property Taxes: Above Average
Kansas is one of the 37 states that collect property taxes at both the state and local levels. As in most states, local governments collect far more. Kansas%26#39; localities collected $3,189,062,000 in property taxes in fiscal year 2004, the latest year for which the Census Bureau has published state-by-state data. At the state level, Kansas collected $57,554,000 in property taxes during FY 2004, making its combined state/local property taxes $3,246,616,000. That brings its per capita collection to $1,187, ranking 14th highest nationally. In FY 2002, Kansas was ranked 24th.
State property tax collections per capita by state
Federal Tax Burdens and Expenditures: Kansas is a Beneficiary State
Kansas taxpayers receive more federal funding per dollar of federal taxes paid compared to the average state. Per dollar of Federal tax collected in 2004, Kansas citizens received approximately $1.12 in the way of federal spending. This ranks the state 23rd nationally and represents a rise from 1992 when Kansas received $1.05 per dollar of taxes in federal spending (ranking 27th nationally). Neighboring states and the amount of federal spending they received per dollar of federal taxes paid were: Nebraska ($1.07), Missouri ($1.29), Oklahoma ($1.48), and Colorado ($0.79).
Comparing the amount of federal taxes sent to Washington with the amount of federal spending coming back to the state';
Since we were commenting on taxes and Kansas, I cut and paste this interesting info from www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/29.html
Thought that might be interesting...
Good posts ya%26#39;ll! Thanx for all the info! :-)
Topeka has had only one notable tornado -- June 8th, 1966. At the time it was the worst tornado in terms of $$ (not lives) to hit the U.S., so there are lots of places you can read about it. See, for example, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topeka_Tornado_of_1966
I remember being in elementary school in Topeka around 1986 or 1987 and being forced to sit in the hallway with hands over head for two hours because of a very slow-moving tornado in town that wasn%26#39;t even coming in our direction. It turns out it was an F1 or F0, weak tornado, that tore the roofs off a few houses and did nothing else. It didn%26#39;t even stay on the ground, but jumped up and back down and up.
If you%26#39;re concerned about tornadoes, just be sure to stay in a place with a basement. The tornado sirens will go off, and you can go into the basement, and there you%26#39;ll be very safe, if maybe uncomfortable.
Tornadoes are most common in central Oklahoma. South-Central Kansas gets a fair amount of tornadoes too. But Topeka is further north, and they do happen, but not as much.
In the last couple years, because of global warming or at least due to warming over the pacific, the upper level wind patterns have been different, and as a result, tornados are not forming over Kansas and Oklahoma as much as they used to, and are forming in areas which don%26#39;t normally get tornadoes. It%26#39;ll probably take a few more years to figure out what is going on, though.
Topeka isn%26#39;t very expensive. As for things to do in town, the western part of town has been expanding in the last 20 years, and most of the shops and restaurants are on Wanamaker between about 29th and I-70. Most stuff there seems to close around 9 or 10pm, though.
Lawrence, KS is about 20 miles east, and there%26#39;s plenty to do there; it%26#39;s a nice college town.
Topeka has had only one notable tornado -- June 8th, 1966. At the time it was the worst tornado in terms of $$ (not lives) to hit the U.S., so there are lots of places you can read about it. See, for example, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topeka_Tornado_of_1966
I remember being in elementary school in Topeka around 1986 or 1987 and being forced to sit in the hallway with hands over head for two hours because of a very slow-moving tornado in town that wasn%26#39;t even coming in our direction. It turns out it was an F1 or F0, weak tornado, that tore the roofs off a few houses and did nothing else. It didn%26#39;t even stay on the ground, but jumped up and back down and up.
If you%26#39;re concerned about tornadoes, just be sure to stay in a place with a basement. The tornado sirens will go off, and you can go into the basement, and there you%26#39;ll be very safe, if maybe uncomfortable.
Tornadoes are most common in central Oklahoma. South-Central Kansas gets a fair amount of tornadoes too. But Topeka is further north, and they do happen, but not as much.
In the last couple years, because of global warming or at least due to warming over the pacific, the upper level wind patterns have been different, and as a result, tornados are not forming over Kansas and Oklahoma as much as they used to, and are forming in areas which don%26#39;t normally get tornadoes. It%26#39;ll probably take a few more years to figure out what is going on, though.
Topeka isn%26#39;t very expensive. As for things to do in town, the western part of town has been expanding in the last 20 years, and most of the shops and restaurants are on Wanamaker between about 29th and I-70. Most stuff there seems to close around 9 or 10pm, though.
Lawrence, KS is about 20 miles east, and there%26#39;s plenty to do there; it%26#39;s a nice college town.
Well, the last tornado of any significance to hit Topeka occurred on June 8, 1966 and there was no recorded tornado of any size before that, dating back to its founding in 1854, so my guess is that you%26#39;re probably pretty safe. You%26#39;ll get maybe 1-2 warnings a year, but unlike a hurricane, a tornado is more finicky and is as likely as not to duck back up into the clouds. I know, I grew up there. Depending on how you%26#39;re getting there, you have lots of options other than Kansas City, and I do recommend that you avoid it: ';Kanasas City is currently closed for construction, please select another destination for your travel convenience';. Try I-335 off of I-35 if you%26#39;re coming from the south, Hwy. 75 from the north, II-70 from the west, or use some good 2 lanes to swing wide of ';Traffic Barrier City';. If you%26#39;re into history, there%26#39;s good frontier history in Toepka and Lawrence. Lawrence is also a nice town to visit and the home of the Univ. of Kansas, 20 miles east. There%26#39;s also the Flint Hills. Some of our friends have said that it%26#39;s beauty only a Kansan can love, but I recommend you take a look. If you%26#39;re looking for arts and entertainment, you probably need to brave the construction and go to KC. Hope that Helps.
Well, the last tornado of any significance to hit Topeka occurred on June 8, 1966 and there was no recorded tornado of any size before that, dating back to its founding in 1854, so my guess is that you%26#39;re probably pretty safe. You%26#39;ll get maybe 1-2 warnings a year, but unlike a hurricane, a tornado is more finicky and is as likely as not to duck back up into the clouds. I know, I grew up there. Depending on how you%26#39;re getting there, you have lots of options other than Kansas City, and I do recommend that you avoid it: ';Kanasas City is currently closed for construction, please select another destination for your travel convenience';. Try I-335 off of I-35 if you%26#39;re coming from the south, Hwy. 75 from the north, II-70 from the west, or use some good 2 lanes to swing wide of ';Traffic Barrier City';. If you%26#39;re into history, there%26#39;s good frontier history in Toepka and Lawrence. Lawrence is also a nice town to visit and the home of the Univ. of Kansas, 20 miles east. There%26#39;s also the Flint Hills. Some of our friends have said that it%26#39;s beauty only a Kansan can love, but I recommend you take a look. If you%26#39;re looking for arts and entertainment, you probably need to brave the construction and go to KC. Hope that Helps.
I have lived in Topeka 60 + years and went through the tornado in 66 (blew my home apart) and then a few years later there was a smaller one. Could have been even 10 years later. We just don%26#39;t have the extreme weather we use to have a long time ago. Not as cold in the winter and not as hot in the summer.
I don%26#39;t know where the previous post came from about gangs in Topeka but it really is not a problem. Like kids everywhere their are small ';gangs'; but not the gangs you see in larger communties like LA. Have I ever seen any gangs in Topeka, NO. Have I ever been in fear to drive late at night, NO. HAs anyone ever destroyed any of my property in the last 60 years, NO.
It depends on what you want for entertainment. Entertainment is here depending on what you like. Theater, is here and in Lawrence. Road shows are here weekly from Broadway to Pops. We have sports here, lots of golf courses and a tennis club. A new sports complex for school kids and events are brought in there. Lots of movie theaters, restaurants galore. You can do just about everything here you can do any place else.
The houses here compared to California are cheap but I would said they are average compared to most of the US. Our property taxes are high. You can get a very average house for $125,000. The nicer houses are $300,000 and up, in good locations. Our sales tax is 7.45%.
Topeka is a good place to raise your kids. I would say the average salary is less then in most cities of the same size. We have two large hospitals and other smaller facilities.
If someone bought me a $2,000,000 house in Kansas City, I wouldn%26#39;t move. The traffic is terrible and for some crazy reason it is ALWAYS under construction. Just like in Dallas, people live in the suburbs and usually don%26#39;t cross the county lines. It is just like a bunch of small towns. If I wanted to go to KC its just an hour%26#39;s drive and like the people that live there, I usually stay on the south side, shop, eat and come back home.
Topeka and the surrounding communities are around 200,000 people and that%26#39;s big enough for me and small enough for me, as a matter of fact, it%26#39;s just right.
Back to the tornados, we don%26#39;t even go downstairs when the sirens blow. The community is very saftey oriented and after you have lived here and gone through a tornado or two, you know when to take cover and when you can watch. Radio and TV stations give you advanced warnings way before they even think about blowing the sirens. I would say your chances of riding out a tornato in Topeka are just about the same as anywhere else in the south or midwest or maybe even less of a chance.
Obviously we love our community and could move anywhere we wanted to, any time we wanted but we are where we want to be.
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