Census tract · Shawnee County

Census Tract 12, Shawnee County, Kansas

Census Tract 12, GEOID 20177001200, in Shawnee County, Kansas, entirely within Topeka. 2,143 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±347); the 2020 Census counted 2,226.

Residents, 2020-2024

2,143

±347 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,226

Median household income

$41,837

±$6,351 (90% margin)
Shawnee County: $67,104

Median home value

$65,100

±$8,670 (90% margin)
Shawnee County: $180,900

Median gross rent

$864

±$82 (90% margin)
Shawnee County: $1,000

Where is Census Tract 12?

Census Tract 12 is one of 46 census tracts in Shawnee County, Kansas. It covers 1.05 square miles of land, 2,112 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 20177001200, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).

Places Census Tract 12 lies in (share of its 2020 census blocks)
PlaceShare of the tract
Topeka100%
Census Tract 12 (marked with a dot) in Shawnee County, Kansas. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.
1113153140 12 1 mi
Census Tract 12 (shaded) and the tracts that border it, numbered. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024 cartographic boundary file, 1:500,000.

5 census tracts border Census Tract 12: Tract 11 ($30,410), Tract 13 ($49,438), Tract 15 ($50,769), Tract 31 and Tract 40 ($28,552). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.

Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Census Tract 12?

The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 12's population at 2,143 (±347) in 722 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,226 residents and 890 housing units.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 12TopekaShawnee CountyKansas
Total population 2,143 ±347 125,786 178,025 2,947,197
Households 722 ±102 54,837 75,458 1,174,060
Average household size 2.97 ±0.41 2.21 2.29 2.44
Housing units 836 ±100 59,868 81,075 1,293,635

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Census Tract 12?

The median resident of Census Tract 12 is 28.7 years old; 27.2% are under 18 and 7.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 45.6%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 28.4%. 16.2% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin, education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure Tract 12TopekaShawnee CountyKansas
Median age 28.7 ±5.7 38.0 39.4 37.4
Under 18 years 27.2% ±5.4 pts 22.4% 23.1% 23.8%
65 years and over 7.9% ±2.4 pts 18.4% 19.4% 17.0%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 45.6% ±11.1 pts 16.9% 13.8% 13.6%
White alone, not Hispanic 19.4% ±6.2 pts 65.1% 71.0% 72.7%
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 28.4% ±8.8 pts 8.5% 6.6% 5.2%
Asian alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±1.4 pts 1.5% 1.3% 2.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.6% ±0.5 pts 0.4% 0.4% 0.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±1.4 pts 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
Two or more races, not Hispanic 6.0% ±3.8 pts 6.9% 6.3% 4.8%
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±1.4 pts 0.6% 0.6% 0.4%
Born outside the United States 16.2% ±8.8 pts 5.1% 4.1% 7.4%
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 34.7% ±13.7 pts 9.1% 7.1% 12.1%
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 3.3% ±1.9 pts 7.7% 8.0% 6.8%
With a disability 11.0% ±4.2 pts 17.3% 15.7% 13.5%
No health insurance coverage 26.3% ±9.1 pts 10.2% 8.6% 8.8%
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 75.7% ±8.3 pts 91.7% 93.3% 92.0%
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 15.2% ±8.0 pts 29.0% 32.2% 35.6%
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 1.0% ±1.8 pts 10.8% 12.4% 13.4%
Lived in the same house a year earlier 84.9% ±8.3 pts 84.7% 87.3% 85.7%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Census Tract 12 earn?

Half of the 722 households in Census Tract 12 earn less than $41,837 a year (±$6,351), against $67,104 across Shawnee County: 40th highest of the county's 45 tracts with a reliable estimate. 29.5% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 12TopekaShawnee CountyKansas
Median household income $41,837 ±$6,351 $56,956 $67,104 $74,275
Mean household income $58,775 ±$10,889 $76,496 $88,163 $100,417
Per capita income $21,748 ±$4,242 $34,089 $37,908 $40,978
People below the poverty line 29.5% ±11.8 pts 15.7% 12.7% 11.3%
Children under 18 below the poverty line 38.8% ±18.4 pts 17.6% 15.0% 13.1%
Households receiving SNAP 17.2% ±7.9 pts 11.1% 9.0% 6.8%
Households with a computer 92.1% ±7.1 pts 93.2% 94.4% 95.6%
Households with a broadband subscription 88.1% ±6.8 pts 88.1% 89.4% 90.7%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Census Tract 12?

Owners occupy 56.8% of Census Tract 12's occupied homes and renters 43.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $65,100 by its owner (±$8,670). The median renter pays $864 a month including utilities, and 48.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 12TopekaShawnee CountyKansas
Median home value (owner-occupied) $65,100 ±$8,670 $144,200 $180,900 $217,200
Median gross rent $864 ±$82 $979 $1,000 $1,060
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 48.9% ±21.8 pts 36.5% 36.4% 34.5%
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,024 ±$194 $1,291 $1,474 $1,689
Owner-occupied homes 56.8% ±10.7 pts 59.0% 66.8% 67.2%
Renter-occupied homes 43.2% ±10.7 pts 41.0% 33.2% 32.8%
Housing units 836 ±100 59,868 81,075 1,293,635
Single-family detached homes 80.9% ±8.4 pts 63.9% 71.0% 71.8%
Mobile homes 6.5% ±5.6 pts 3.5% 3.2% 4.0%
Built 2020 or later 0.0% ±3.5 pts 0.8% 0.8% 1.4%
Built 2010 to 2019 1.4% ±2.7 pts 3.6% 4.9% 7.8%
Built 1939 or earlier 14.8% ±7.2 pts 16.2% 13.4% 15.4%
Households with no vehicle 10.9% ±6.6 pts 9.3% 7.4% 5.1%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How do people in Census Tract 12 get to work?

84.2% of Census Tract 12's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 15.9 minutes.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 12TopekaShawnee CountyKansas
In the labor force (age 16+) 68.4% ±7.5 pts 61.0% 61.6% 66.1%
Unemployment rate 4.7% ±4.1 pts 4.9% 4.1% 3.9%
Drove alone to work 84.2% ±9.7 pts 75.5% 77.1% 75.4%
Carpooled 12.5% ±9.7 pts 10.1% 8.8% 8.7%
Public transportation 0.0% ±2.8 pts 0.5% 0.3% 0.4%
Walked 0.0% ±2.8 pts 1.9% 1.6% 2.3%
Worked from home 2.3% ±2.4 pts 10.9% 11.2% 11.8%
Mean travel time to work 15.9 min ±2.2 16.7 min 17.9 min 19.7 min

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Census Tract 12 compare with the other tracts in Shawnee County?

Among Shawnee County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 12 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).

Census Tract 12's rank among the tracts of Shawnee County and of Topeka
MeasureIn Shawnee CountyIn Topeka
Population45th of 4638th of 39
Residents per square mile23rd of 4623rd of 39
Median household income40th of 4533rd of 38
Per capita income42nd of 4635th of 39
Median home value42nd of 4635th of 39
Median gross rent35th of 4430th of 38
Poverty rate4th of 374th of 32
Bachelor's degree or higher37th of 4530th of 38
Median age42nd of 4635th of 39
Owner-occupied share28th of 4621st of 39

The tracts next to it on Shawnee County's income ladder

Median household income, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractRankMedian household incomeResidents
Tract 30.0137th$47,963±$5,099 · within the margin of this tract2,951
Tract 1038th$47,267±$10,374 · within the margin of this tract3,429
Tract 839th$42,487±$5,552 · within the margin of this tract3,054
Tract 1240th$41,837±$6,3512,143
Tract 2841st$41,771±$11,319 · within the margin of this tract3,974
Tract 642nd$40,107±$5,965 · within the margin of this tract2,235
Tract 443rd$32,839±$4,2374,690

"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.

Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed

How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 12?

2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 12 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.

A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections