De Soto Demographics and Real Estate Info

De Soto Kansas is a suburb of Kansas City located in the northwest of Johnson County. It is considered part of the greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Nearby cities include: Olathe, Eudora, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Bonner Springs, Overland Park, Lenexa, Kansas City, KS and the greater Kansas City Missouri area.

De Soto was named for the 16^th century Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto. In 1858 and later in 1861, the land was purchased from John Possum, a Shawnee Indian. Major James B. Abbott built one of the first historical buildings in that location. Today, Abbott Hall is one of the two museums in De Soto, Kansas.

During WWII, the De Soto location proved to be ideal for the construction on the 9,000+-acre Sunflower Army Ammunitions Plant. With the addition of the De Soto plant, the population boomed.

Today, the city of De Soto is located ideally to provide the advantages of Johnson County living with small-town living all within the immediate proximity of Lawrence, Kansas and the Greater Kansas City community.

There are hundreds of attractions and fun places in De Soto and surrounding communities; including:

• The Barn at Kill Creek Rd.
• Wanda’s Roadside Café
• Mid-America Sports Complex
• Union Station
• JT’s Grill & Sports Bar
• Country Club Plaza
• Kansas Speedway
• Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
• Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
• Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums
• Agricultural Hall of Fame

There are hundreds of thriving businesses in De Soto Northwest Johnson County. Some include:

• Krudwig & Associates – Engineers
• Shafer, Kline & Warren, Inc.
• GreatLife Golf
• De Soto Arts Council
• Kids TLC
• The Barn & Kill Creek Farm
• Gilmore & Bell
• TriCentury Bank
• Great American Bank
• Great Southern Bank
• USD 232

Demographics

• Population – 4,396, Up 32% since 2000
• Average Income – $95,693 Per Year
• Average age – 37 years
• Gender– 50% Male, 50% Female
• Households– 1,547, 39% with children
• Average Home Values – $232,490

Schools

De Soto Public Schools support the city of De Soto

De Soto High School, Lexington Trails Middle School, and Horizon Elementary are recipients of the seventh annual Governor’s Achievement Award. This distinction honors top performing schools and places DHS, LTMS, and Horizon among the top five percent in Kansas.

There are also dozens of great private schools in the greater Kansas City Metropolitan area. Some of these include:

• Pembroke Hill School
• Kadesh Academy
• Notre Dame de Sion
• Rockhurst High School
• Prince of Peace Catholic School
• Saint Teresa’s Academy
• Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
• Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy