Photo: Chris Flook · CC BY-SA 4.0Topeka spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Topeka’s town government spent $28,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $23 per resident.
What stands out about how Topeka is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$23 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them
Topeka’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($23 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $586, and the middle half spent $300–$967. Topeka spent less than 97% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Topeka itself left out).
About $23 per resident a year, or $0.06 a day
Day-to-day services only.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Topeka collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Topeka reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,307 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.92% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Topeka’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Topeka’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Topeka →
Who’s in charge in Topeka
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Topeka’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on topekain.net ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 124 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,244).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Westview School Corporation
Topeka’s K–12 school district, shared with Clearspring Township, Eden Township, Newbury Township, Shipshewana, Van Buren Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,297 per pupil, $8,226 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Indiana districts overall: 33% local, 56% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Topeka.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: topekain.net ↗
- 2Indiana HouseState representatives
- 3Indiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Topeka’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Topeka’s government
How much does Topeka spend per resident?
About $23 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $23 was less than 97% of 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Topeka?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,307 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.92% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see topekain.net.
Who runs Topeka’s government?
See topekain.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Topeka yet.
How many people work for Topeka?
10 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $56,432 (about $677,184 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Topeka in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (Sue Glick) and State House District 51 (Tony Isa). The House district also covers 27 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Topeka’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →