Shawnee and Gardner 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
Shawnee
Gardner
Opportunity
66 · Top 31%
vs64 · Top 33%
Growth
77 · Top 8%
vs82 · Top 4%
Climate
68 · Bottom 39%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 15%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
74 · Top 21%
vs74 · Top 22%
Access
90 · Bottom 45%
vs81 · Bottom 23%
Economic stability
81 · Top 6%
vs82 · Top 4%
Measured values
| Metric | Shawnee | Gardner | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 68,542 | 24,526 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $109,940 | $96,818 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $54,157 | $37,845 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,633/sq mi | 1,683/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $359,700 | $306,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,322 | $1,306 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.7% | 67.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.3% | -2.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.1% | 32.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.3% | 6.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 563 | 293 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.2 | 11.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 176.0% | 95.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.7" | 37.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 36 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.7 min | 25.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.0 | 30.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.28 | 12.97 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 39.1% | 38.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.6% | 42.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.2% | 39.9% | 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
Shawnee
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Gardner
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Shawnee, KS · Gardner, KS · How this is calculated: methodology