Shawnee and Olathe 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
Olathe
Opportunity
66 · Top 31%
vs65 · Top 31%
Growth
77 · Top 8%
vs74 · Top 12%
Climate
68 · Bottom 39%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 15%
vs98 · Top 13%
Schools
74 · Top 21%
vs83 · Top 9%
Access
90 · Bottom 45%
vs85 · Bottom 29%
Economic stability
81 · Top 6%
vs81 · Top 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Shawnee | Olathe | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 68,542 | 145,057 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $109,940 | $114,009 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $54,157 | $50,628 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,633/sq mi | 2,252/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $359,700 | $364,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,322 | $1,314 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.7% | 74.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.3% | -2.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.1% | 50.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.3% | 5.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 563 | 1,081 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.2 | 7.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 176.0% | 104.7% | 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 | 20 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.7 min | 22.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.0 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 55 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.28 | 13.50 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 39.1% | 43.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.6% | 46.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.2% | 27.0% | 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.
Olathe
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Shawnee, KS · Olathe, KS · How this is calculated: methodology