Shawnee Co. Sees Steep Decline In Poverty, Unemployment Drops to Historic 30-year Low

Of Kansas’ five largest counties, Shawnee County ranks No. 2 for lowest poverty rate, trailing only Johnson County, according to recently released data from GO Topeka. Shawnee County also recorded the state’s second-steepest decline in poverty rate over the past decade, with a 40% decrease since 2010. Meanwhile, the county’s unemployment dropped to a historic 30-year low of 2.3% in December 2021.

That data come from statistics provided recently by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates program and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the census data, more than 12,300 people in Topeka and Shawnee County were lifted out of poverty between 2010 and 2020. The data also expand on statistics provided last year by Freddy Mawyin, the Greater Topeka Partnership’s senior economic advisor, that revealed local median household income increased by about $14,000 during the same period. Shawnee County’s unemployment rate also fell to 2.3% in December, a rate not previously recorded between 1990 and 2022.

“This is promising news and a sign our local economic indicators are moving in the right direction,” Mawyin said. “Community leaders, our GO Topeka team and other local partners have been hard at work ensuring greater economic prosperity is a reality for residents of Topeka and Shawnee County. The latest poverty data suggest their efforts are paying off.”

Among Kansas counties with populations greater than 100,000 — including Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties — Shawnee County claims the second-lowest poverty rate, with a rate of 10.5%. That falls below the state’s 2020 poverty rate of 10.6% and the 2020 U.S. poverty rate of 11.9%.

“All I can say is, ‘Wow!’ These metrics show the Shawnee County economy has recovered in record time from the pandemic, and the sky is the limit,” said Matt Pivarnik, CEO of the Greater Topeka Partnership. “Shawnee County ranking behind Johnson County in terms of poverty in an incredible achievement. To also learn that our unemployment has reached a historic low is just another testament to our community’s Momentum 2022 strategy, and the culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation we have become known for across the region. These numbers also reinforce a very urgent need to continue to attract and equip new talent to meet the employment needs in our city.”