In October, the zombies come out in East End for a month-long tradition of haunted hikes and jump scares. The rest of the year, it's a neighborhood of modest living about 3 miles from downtown Topeka. East End features two leafy subdivisions with homes that sell below the city's median sale price of $185,000. Both subdivisions offer parks easily accessible by foot or a short drive. They're also served by two separate school districts, including Topeka Public Schools and Shawnee Heights Unified School District. While the neighborhood's main road isn't very busy, with one convenience store and a bakery, it's where thousands of people go to work in Reser's Fine Foods' several manufacturing plants and at the corporate office of Conduent.
Two subdivisions with their own parks
The neighborhood is separated into two subdivisions, one to the north of SE 6th Street and the other to the south. Homes on the north side were developed in the 1930s and 1940s. They include bungalows and ranch-style homes on leafy quarter-acre lots, ranging from $75,000 to $150,000. While there are no sidewalks in the north subdivision, it's a low-traffic area where homes are within walking distance of Rice Park. The south subdivision is a bit newer with homes developed in the 1970s. They include four-unit townhouses with three to four bedrooms, ranging from $60,000 to $70,000. There are also more bungalows and ranch-style homes, along with bi-levels, all ranging from $75,000 to $150,000. This subdivision does have sidewalks, which residents can use to walk to Eastgate Park.
Local parks and the annual Haunted Woods
East End is home to Rice Park, which has a large open field with a disc golf course. There's also a pavilion that can be used to celebrate special occasions along with a horseshoe pit and a playground to add to the fun. Eastgate Park is a smaller space where people can go to play basketball or have fun on the playground.
Forest Park isn't a traditional public park, but rather a conference and retreat center with dozens of cabins. It was created in 1922 to hold the United Methodist Church's annual Summer Assembly. While that event still happens every year, Forest Park is mostly used as an event space for retreats, camps and weddings. People from across the city get excited for the Halloween season when Forest Park transforms into Haunted Woods. "It's the perfect place for it," says Steve Jacobs, Chairman of the board of Forest Park, "When you get up on the side of the hill, there's probably 20 acres of really thick woods, and it's just spooky as the dickens, so it doesn't take a whole lot to scare people to death." Part of the Haunted Woods experience is the Midwest Zombie Fest, where Hollywood costume designers who have worked on TV series' like "The Walking Dead" and "Vampire Diaries" assist in creating lifelike zombies to walk around the grounds. The event raises funds for the park and Boy Scouts of America.
Two school district routes
The north subdivision is zoned to Topeka Public Schools, while the south is served by the Shawnee Heights Unified School District. Topeka students start at Scott Dual Language Magnet Elementary School, which earns a C grade from Niche and is considered an International Spanish Academy by the Embassy of Spain – the only of its kind in Kansas. The school's Dual Language program aims to produce bilingual students by the time they finish fifth grade. From there, they'll go on to Chase Middle School and Highland Park High School, each of which earns a C-plus grade.
Shawnee students attend Tecumseh North Elementary, graded a C-plus. They'll head to B-minus-graded Shawnee Heights Middle before moving on to Shawnee Heights High. The high school is ranked 25th best college prep public high school in Kansas. According to GreatSchools, 23% of students participate in the dual enrollment program, which offers courses through Washburn University and Allen Community College.
Employment opportunities at Reser's Fine Foods and Conduent
The Topeka Correctional Facility is located on SE 6th Street, where there are also a few corporations providing nearby job opportunities. Reser's Fine Foods, a national food manufacturer, has five plants in the neighborhood, employing more than 1,300 people. There's also an office for Conduent, which helps process Medicaid applications for families across the country. The company also offers many work-from-home opportunities.
A general store and Mexican bakery on SE 6th Street
SE 6th Street, while mostly lined with Reser's Find Foods plants, has a few places to shop and eat. Casey's General Store, a regional chain, is where locals go to get gas, buy convenience items and order pizza, breakfast burritos and other snacks to go. Though businesses are sparse at the Deer Creek Shopping Center, it's home to Panaderia Monterrey, a popular Mexican bakery offering various pastries, cakes and breads. For everyday shopping needs, Walmart and Dillons are just 4 miles south. The south subdivision features a mix of
Access to Topeka Metro buses and I-70
Downtown commuters can drive or take a Topeka Metro bus 3 miles down SE 6th Street with a few traffic lights and bus stops along the way. They can hop on Interstate 70 for a 4-mile drive as well. I-70 also leads west through Kansas and about 60 miles east to Kansas City.
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.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
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an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Parks in this Area
Santa Fe Park
Veterans Park
Garfield Park
Lake Shawnee
Dornwood Park
Ripley Park
Gage Park
Rice Park
Eastgate Park
Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
East End
US
Homicide
5
4
Sexual Assault
3
4
Assault with Weapon
4
4
Robbery
4
4
Burglary
2
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
4
4
Larceny
2
4
Crime Score
4
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in East End, Topeka sell after 26 days on the market compared to the national average of 47 days. The average sale price for homes in East End, Topeka over the last 12 months is $97,664, down 14% from the average home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Home Trends
Median Price (12 Mo)
$115,000
Median Single Family Price
$115,000
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$85
Last 12 months Home Sales
7
Median List Price
$115,000
Median Discount From 1st List Price
0%
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
-2%
Home Facts
Number of Homes in Neighborhood
357
Median Year Built
1960
Avg. Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
1,087
Significantly below the national average
1,936
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
10,018
Distribution of Home Values
Source: Public Records
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Melissa Herdman,
an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Average Home Value
Source: Public Records
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Owners
Demographics
Total Population
2,335
Median Age
37
Population Density
3 ppl/acre
Population under 18
23.9%
On par with the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
10.8%
Below the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$43,155
Significantly below the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$58,744
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
80.1%
College Graduates
5.2%
Significantly below the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
3%
Below the national average
13.3%
% Population in Labor Force
58.8%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
37''
Average Winter Low Temperature
21°F
Average Summer High Temperature
90°F
Annual Snowfall
12''
Area Factors
Somewhat Bikeable
Bike Score®
27/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
26/ 100
Minimal Transit
Transit Score®
23/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
