Your Guide to Buying a Home in Olathe, KS

Buying a Home in Olathe, Kansas

(Olathe is a growing community that is very family-friendly)

Olathe is located in Johnson County

Olathe is the county seat and undisputed governmental hub of Johnson County, the most populous county in Kansas.  Once separated from the suburban communities of Kansas City, Olathe has grown into one of the largest and most significant satellite cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

With a population of approximately 125,000, Olathe is the fastest growing city in the state. Thousands of families make Olathe their new home each year. Many are attracted by Olathe’s quality housing at an affordable price, others by the small town feel of many of its distinctive neighborhoods. Olathe is an old enough community to offer large tree-lined streets and early twentieth century homes, but a majority of the housing stock is found in well-designed suburban subdivisions.

Residents cite outstanding schools, safe and friendly neighborhoods, and great housing prices as primary reasons for picking Olathe as the community to call home.  Olathe is the kind of community where people know their neighbors.  As Johnson County’s only full service community, Olathe maintains its own police, fire, parks and recreation system, and libraries, as well as water, sewer and sanitation services.

Located only 18 miles southwest on Interstate 35 from downtown Kansas City, Olatheans have great access to all Kansas City has to offer. Residents regularly enjoy amenities such as the Country Club Plaza (a European inspired, fountain rich shopping and restaurant district and America’s first planned shopping center), Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun (local amusement parks), cultural destinations (such as the Nelson-Atkins Museum and Art Galleries and the Lyric Theatre), Kansas Speedway, Crown Center and the Kansas City Zoo.

Olathe District Schools continue to be recognized by educator and national publications, as well as the federal government, as one of the premier districts in the nation. Despite the tremendous growth averaging 600 new students per year since 1990, Olathe District Schools have maintained a student/teacher ratio of only 16.5/1. The district has recently received the prestigious National Gold Metal ranking, the elite Excellence Level III of the Malcolm Baldrige program, and 15 National Blue Ribbon School Awards from the U. S. Department of Education, more than any other district in the state. Olathe is also home to Kansas State School for the Deaf and MidAmerica Nazerene University.

Olathe has an extensive park system highlighted by a streamway trail system for walking and biking. Local festivals held annually include Old Settlers Celebration and Bushwacker Days at the historic Mahaffie Farmstead.  Shopping opportunities abound with hubs at the Great Mall of the Great Plains and the 119^th Street and Strang Line Complex.

The average Olathe homes price is in the $225,000 range with housing available from under $100,000 to over one million dollars. A buyer can select from single family, duplex, condominium,  townhome and villa properties. Olathe has good opportunities for the investor as well.