Johnson County · KS
Lenexa, KS
Founded 1869 · 15.3 miles from downtown Kansas City · population 58,384
The market, last twelve months
Half of the homes that sold went under contract within 7 days. The median sale closed at 100.0% of asking - at list. 57% closed at or above the original list price, which is the better measure of how much room a buyer actually has.
Aggregated from Heartland MLS closed sales, twelve months to July 2026. Individual sale prices are not shown - Kansas and Missouri are non-disclosure states and MLS rules do not permit their public display. Ask for the full report if you need them.
How it came to befounded 1869 · where the name comes from · 5 dated events
Charles A. Bradshaw bought 160 acres of former Shawnee reservation land in 1867 and negotiated with the Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad (later the Frisco) that it would maintain a depot on his land - so trains would stop rather than pass through. In 1869 he sold 41.5 acres beside the railroad right-of-way to civil engineer Octave Chanute, who platted the town. Chanute sold the property on August 26, 1869. The town was reportedly going to be named Bradshaw, but Bradshaw declined out of modesty. source
The name. Named for the wife of Shawnee Chief Thomas Quaskey Blackhoof, whose name was recorded in 1850s documents as Na Nex Se or Len Ag See. 'Lenexa' is an anglicized derivation of it. The city's Black Hoof Park carries the chief's name. source
Officially incorporated May 8, 1907, thirty-eight years after the town was platted. source
- 1867Charles A. Bradshaw purchases 160 acres of former Shawnee reservation land. source
- 1869Octave Chanute plats the town beside the Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad; the post office is relocated and renamed Lenexa. source
- 1907Lenexa incorporated, May 8. source
- 1930Lenexa becomes known for spinach production, earning the 'Spinach Capital' label. source
- 2023Kiewit consolidates a corporate campus at Lenexa City Center in the building formerly occupied by Perceptive Software, with a further expansion approved by the city in 2023. source
The housing stockmedian built 1997
The median home sold here was built in 1997. Most of what sells was built between 1973 and 2025. That closely matches the Census figure of 1992 for all housing, so sales are broadly representative of the stock. 74% of sales included finished basement space beyond the above-grade footprint - which matters here, because square footage quoted above grade can understate a house considerably.
Census records the mix as 56.3% single-family detached, 7.9% single-family attached, 35.8% in multi-unit structures - the largest multi-family share of the seven cities in this group., with 56.8% owner-occupied. source
By property type, sales broke down as Single Family (646), Patio/Villa (126), Townhouse (55), Half Duplex (39).
What's hereBlack Hoof Park and Lake Lenexa, Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park and more
Lenexa was a major spinach-growing center in the 1930s and was known as the Spinach Capital; the city still holds an annual Spinach Festival. source
Lenexa City Center is a built-from-scratch downtown district, and Lenexa also retains a separate historic Old Town along the original railroad alignment. source
- Black Hoof Park and Lake Lenexa
- 231-acre park built around the 35-acre deep-water Lake Lenexa, with a distinctive dam and spillway and several miles of trail. Named for Shawnee Chief Blackhoof, whose wife's name gave the city its own. source
- Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park
- At 87th St. Parkway and Greenway Lane. source
- Shawnee Mission Park (western portion)
- The 1,600-acre county park straddles the Shawnee/Lenexa line. source
Neighborhoods with their own market data3 with enough sales to report
3 subdivisions in Lenexa had enough closed sales in the last twelve months to report on individually.
| Subdivision | Sold | Median price | $/sq ft | Days | Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Timbers at Clear Creek | 40 | $667,000 | $343 | 10 | 2023 |
| Bristol Highlands | 30 | $548,043 | $410 | 100 | 2025 |
| The Cedars | 28 | $458,500 | $209 | 2 | 1985 |
Practical detailschool district · highways and transit · 9 employers
- Schools
- Shawnee Mission School District (USD 512) and De Soto USD 232. Boundaries do not follow city limits. Shawnee Mission USD 512 lists Lenexa among the 14 cities inside its boundaries; De Soto USD 232 also operates inside Lenexa (Mill Creek Middle School and the Cedar Trails Exploration Center at 83rd Street and Mize Boulevard). Check the specific address rather than the city name. Confirm the assigned school for any specific address before you rely on it. source
- Getting around
- Interstate 35 runs along the east side of the city and Interstate 435 crosses it; K-10 (the Kansas City-Lawrence corridor) begins in the area, and 87th Street Parkway is the main east-west arterial. The original Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf / Frisco rail alignment through Old Town is the reason the town exists. source
- Employers located here
- Kiewit Corporation, Ceva Animal Health, Quest Diagnostics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Clinical Reference Laboratory (CRL), Collins Aerospace, CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Gear for Sports, Amazon, UPS and the J.C. Penney Logistics Center. Listed as present in the city, which is not a statement about hiring.
People from herePaul Rudd
- Paul Rudd
- Actor; grew up in Lenexa before attending the University of Kansas. source
More images2 more from the archives
Thinking about buying or selling here?
The numbers above describe the market. What they cannot tell you is what your own house is worth in it, or which of these streets fits what you need. Ask me about Lenexa.