Biggest Retail Cities in Kansas: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Kansas has 22,128 independent retail places spread across 300 towns. Wichita leads with 2,911 — 13.2% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Kansas by the numbers
Where the stores are
Kansas has 22,128 independent retail places — 752.5 per 100,000 residents, 1.04× the national average of 724.8 and 23rd of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Wichita holds 2,911 of them (13.2% of the state total). Overland Park is second with 1,623 (7.3%). The 25 towns below account for 64.5% of Kansas's retail; 300 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (2,515, 11.4% of the state's retail), followed by clothing stores (1,169).
Top 25 retail towns in Kansas
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Kansas's 22,128 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wichita | 2,911 | 13.2% |
| 2 | Overland Park | 1,623 | 7.3% |
| 3 | Topeka | 1,358 | 6.1% |
| 4 | Olathe | 872 | 3.9% |
| 5 | Kansas City | 855 | 3.9% |
| 6 | Lawrence | 788 | 3.6% |
| 7 | Lenexa | 639 | 2.9% |
| 8 | Manhattan | 607 | 2.7% |
| 9 | Salina | 502 | 2.3% |
| 10 | Hutchinson | 498 | 2.3% |
| 11 | Shawnee | 404 | 1.8% |
| 12 | Leawood | 368 | 1.7% |
| 13 | Hays | 312 | 1.4% |
| 14 | Garden City | 307 | 1.4% |
| 15 | Leavenworth | 276 | 1.2% |
| 16 | Emporia | 275 | 1.2% |
| 17 | Pittsburg | 240 | 1.1% |
| 18 | Dodge City | 222 | 1.0% |
| 19 | Great Bend | 205 | 0.9% |
| 20 | Newton | 200 | 0.9% |
| 21 | Junction City | 198 | 0.9% |
| 22 | Mission | 159 | 0.7% |
| 23 | McPherson | 158 | 0.7% |
| 24 | Derby | 153 | 0.7% |
| 25 | Independence | 146 | 0.7% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in Kansas
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Kansas, with each one's share of the state's 22,128 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 2,515 | 11.4% |
| 2 | Clothing Store | 1,169 | 5.3% |
| 3 | Hardware Store | 1,114 | 5.0% |
| 4 | Miscellaneous Store | 1,107 | 5.0% |
| 5 | Furniture and Home Store | 1,002 | 4.5% |
| 6 | Print Store | 982 | 4.4% |
| 7 | Shoe Store | 754 | 3.4% |
| 8 | Electronics Store | 699 | 3.2% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in Kansas has the most retail stores?
- Wichita, with 2,911 independent retail places — 13.2% of Kansas's 22,128 total. Overland Park is next with 1,623.
- How many independent retail stores are in Kansas?
- 22,128 shoppable independent retail places, or 752.5 per 100,000 residents (1.04× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Kansas 23rd of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Kansas?
- The construction supplies store: 2,515 places, or 11.4% of Kansas's retail. Clothing Stores are second at 1,169.
Related reports
Store types where Kansas ranks in the top 10
- Hardware Stores by State: Every State RankedKansas ranks #8 per capita (37.9 per 100k)
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Illinois: Top 25 Towns Ranked91,184 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Indiana: Top 25 Towns Ranked49,234 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Iowa: Top 25 Towns Ranked25,951 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Kentucky: Top 25 Towns Ranked32,108 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Louisiana: Top 25 Towns Ranked33,804 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Maine: Top 25 Towns Ranked13,543 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
Find independent stores near you
Useful Economy indexes products from independent local retailers across the country. Search by what you want, or browse by city.
Start browsing →