Lenexa is one of Kansas' fastest-growing cities in the state's fastest-growing county: Johnson County. The city of about 58,000 is located about 13 miles southwest of Kansas City, and it is expected to reach six figures in the next 20 years, expanding along the guidelines set in the early 2000s by a citizen-driven, master-planning process. Lenexa has been building a residential following with shopping, dining, entertainment and some of the state’s top school districts.
Lenexa City Center, is at the core of the community — a mixed-use development that includes living space, a civic center, a library, an aquatics center and a food court. Lenexa's commercial base accounts for nearly three-quarters of its land, with major employers such as Amazon, GEICO, Thermo Fisher Scientific and UPS.
“We’ve had really responsible and thoughtful growth, which has been huge,'' says Logan Wagler, the city's director of the city’s parks and recreation since 2008. "Here, there’s a premium on quality of life with lots of great things to do and lots of great infrastructure that supports a great quality of life, including our parks, our trails, our outdoor spaces, the walkability and bikeability, quality development, good core services in our police and fire. It’s just a well-supported community.”
Lenexa City Center, articulated in a citizen-visioning process, is at the core of the Lenexa community and includes living space, a civic center, library, aquatics center and a food court.
Lenexa's commercial base accounts for nearly three-quarters of its land, with major employers such as Amazon, GEICO, Rockwell Collins Aerospace, Thermo Fisher Scientific and UPS.
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Homes typically are built in ranch, split-level or traditional style
Lenexa's housing options include townhomes, duplexes and single-family homes, with an overall median price of around $475,000, which is slightly higher than the national median. About two-thirds of residents own their homes, and rental units can be found around the city, including within the City Center district.
Ranch-style, split-level, traditional and modern-style homes are common in the city. Homes can sell for as little as $248,000 for a three-bedroom condo in an older subdivision such as Four Colonies, to just over $3 million for a newly built home in the Timber Rock subdivision. Many subdivisions have HOA fees of around $200, which fund amenities like pools and clubhouses.
Lenexa has many traditional single-family homes along its quiet streets.
Split-level homes built in the 60s, 70s, and 80s are popular in subdivisions near Old Town Lenexa.
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Lenexa's three school districts in the state's top five
All three public school districts serving Lenexa receive an A from Niche and rank in the state's overall top five. De Soto, which Niche ranks No. 2 in Kansas, serves students in the northwest part of the city. Olathe, No. 3 in the state according to Niche, serves students in southern Lenexa. Shawnee Mission, Niche's No. 5 district, serves students who live near the border with Overland Park.
Olathe Northwest High School gets a A on Niche.com
De Soto High School serves 976 students.
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Shawnee Mission, Black Hoof and Sar-Ko-Par Parks offer acres of green space, lakes
Lenexa operates 36 parks and more than 60 miles of mixed-use trails. “One of our biggest strengths is that we have a ton of neighborhood-focused small parks, some great community assets, and some large community parks. It’s a very robust system,” Wagler says. Shawnee Mission Park spills over from Shawnee into Lenexa, sprawling over 1,600 acres. It includes a lake, an off-leash dog park and trails.
Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park is a 50-acre spot whose recent renovations include a pavilion that seats 200. It’s home to the Legler Barn Museum, playgrounds, an outdoor aquatic center, sports fields and courts, a skate park, a fishing lake and a disc golf course. Black Hoof Park is a 240-acre park with an award-winning lake and spillway, a disc golf course, a destination playground and spaces for boating, fishing and hiking.
City Center’s 100,000-square-foot recreation center has an indoor pool, walking track, fitness center, kid zone and party rooms. The city has two pickleball facilities, including one with built-in spaces for socializing and a webcam for players to check availability before heading there. “The courts are standing-room only anytime it’s nice outside,” Wagler says.
The 18-hole disc golf course at Shawnee Mission Park is a blast with friends in Lenexa.
City Center’s 100,000-square-foot recreation center has an indoor pool, walking track, fitness center, and pickleball facilities.
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City Center and Oak Park Mall popular spots for shopping and dining
Lenexans have several shopping, dining, and entertainment options. Lenexa City Center is a multi-million-dollar mixed-use development that includes a new civic center and library, a seasonal farmer’s market, an aquatics center, a fitness center and the Lenexa Public Market, where several micro restaurants operate under one roof. Live music during the evenings and weekends adds to the festive atmosphere.
Shoppers frequent the Oak Park Mall, which opened in 1974, just across the border in Overland Park. Anchor stores such as Nordstrom and Dillard's keep traffic flowing into this mall and into big national chain stores such as Costco, Sam’s Club and Target nearby along Interstate 35.
The Lenexa Public Market offers several micro restaurants that operate under one roof.
Oak Park Mall includes numerous big name department stores like Nordstrom and Dillard's near Lenexa.
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Over 200 contestants each vie for top spot at Kansas State BBQ Championship, Lenexa Chili Challenge
Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park hosts several events throughout the year, including several food-related events. The Kansas State BBQ Championship and the Lenexa Chili Challenge each attract more than 200 contestants and thousands of patrons. During the winter holidays, the park lights up at night for Sar-Ko Aglow, where the city lights up over 60 large trees and shelters to create a festive scene. Lenexa City Center hosts live music, especially during the summer months.
Bring the kids to enjoy the Lenexa Farmers Market on Saturdays.
Residents can find art, crafts and handmade goods at the Lenexa Spinach Festival at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park.
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Four-season weather and crime below national averages
Summer and winter extremes are not out of the question in Lenexa, and the city maintains a weather-advisory section on its website informing residents how to prepare for tornadoes, snowstorms, floods and severe temperature swings which can range from triple-digits to below zero.
Crime rates are consistently below national averages for both property and violent crimes, based on FBI data. Rates of reported property crime increased slightly from 2022 to 2023, while violent crime reports decreased slightly during the same period. Lenexa’s fire department is the only department in Kansas to receive full accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, which can help reduce homeowner's insurance rates.
Interstates 35 and 435, Kansas State Routes 7 and 10 cross city
Interstate 35 is the most direct route to downtown Kansas City, though interstates 435 and 635 serve as alternatives around the metro area and are the most direct routes to Kansas City International Airport, north of downtown, or to the city's major-league sports stadiums to the east of downtown. Amtrak serves Kansas City at Union Station near downtown. More than 50 destinations are reachable from Kansas City's airport on 11 carriers. Johnson County is part of the metro area's Ride KC public transit system, with fixed-route bus service, on-demand shared ride service and para-transit.
Written By
Anne Amoury
Photography Contributed By
Brooke Wasson
Video By
Edward Pokoj
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GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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On average, homes in Lenexa, KS sell after 60 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Lenexa, KS over the last 12 months is $520,000, up 9% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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