Fresno vs Topeka
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Topeka edges it, 60 to 59, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Central Valley farm capital within reach of Yosemite and Sequoia
Full Fresno profile →Plan a trip to Fresno →Quiet, low-cost Kansas capital that courts remote workers
Full Topeka profile →Plan a trip to Topeka →Where they differ
- Air quality. Topeka leads on air quality, 88 to 81, against Fresno. PM2.5: 13.4 µg/m³ vs 10.3 µg/m³.
- Cost of living. Topeka leads on cost of living, 26 to 20, against Fresno. Monthly cost, one person: $3,065 vs $2,665.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, internet, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.
Pick Fresno if you want
- no clear edge over Topeka in the data
Pick Topeka if you want
- to spend about $400 less a month
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Fresno | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 20 | 26 ✓ |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 80 | 81 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 13 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 42 |
| Air quality | 81 | 88 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Fresno | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,065 | $2,665 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Fresno | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 78.5 yrs | 78.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Fresno | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 77.8 Mbps | 82.9 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 13.2 Mbps ✓ | 11.8 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Fresno | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Fresno | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 15 | 58 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Fresno | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.4 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Fresno or Topeka?
- Topeka is cheaper: about $2,665 per month versus $3,065 for one person.
- Is Fresno or Topeka safer?
- Fresno and Topeka score the same on safety (51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Fresno or Topeka?
- Topeka: a measured median of 82.9 Mbps versus 77.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.