Olathe and Shawnee receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Olathe
Shawnee
Opportunity
65 · Top 31%
vs66 · Top 31%
Growth
74 · Top 12%
vs77 · Top 8%
Climate
68 · Bottom 39%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 13%
vs97 · Top 15%
Schools
83 · Top 9%
vs74 · Top 21%
Access
85 · Bottom 29%
vs90 · Bottom 45%
Economic stability
81 · Top 6%
vs81 · Top 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Olathe | Shawnee | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 145,057 | 68,542 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $114,009 | $109,940 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,628 | $54,157 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,252/sq mi | 1,633/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $364,700 | $359,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,314 | $1,322 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.8% | 73.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.3% | -2.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.5% | 53.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% | 5.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,081 | 563 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 8.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 104.7% | 176.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.7" | 37.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.2 min | 23.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.2 | 39.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 55 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.50 | 14.28 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 43.1% | 39.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 46.5% | 43.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.0% | 32.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Olathe
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Shawnee
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Olathe, KS · Shawnee, KS · How this is calculated: methodology