De Soto, Kansas

De Soto is a Kansas River town of about 7,083 people in western Johnson County, with its own school district (USD 232), a city pool, a public golf course, and a K-10 commute of roughly 15 miles to Lawrence or Olathe. It is also changing fast: Panasonic’s EV battery plant opened in July 2025 and data center campuses are underway nearby, so expect new homes, new jobs and more traffic than the town is used to. See what’s for sale in De Soto.

De Soto is in Johnson County, Kansas, on the county’s far western edge along the Kansas River (ZIP code 66018). That means Johnson County services, county property tax levies and county parks such as Kill Creek Park. Compare Johnson County cities.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated De Soto’s population at 7,083 as of July 1, 2025. With the Panasonic plant and new subdivisions coming online, that number is expected to keep climbing.

The median single-family sale price in De Soto was $488,500 for homes sold from January 2024 through October 2026 (220 sales), about $201 per finished square foot. About 12% of recent sales were homes built within the last two years, from builders including Harding Homes, Cottage Creek Homes, L/M Homes and Elite KC. See live prices by subdivision.

Homes that sold in De Soto from 2024 to 2026 paid a median of $5,940 a year in property tax, an effective rate of about 1.27% of the sale price. The City of De Soto’s own mill levy is 12.94 mills for 2026, down from 13.77 in 2025 and 19.80 in 2024; county, school and other levies are added on top. Your exact bill depends on the county appraisal.

De Soto is served by De Soto USD 232, which also covers parts of Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe. In 2025 the district received Kansans Can Star Recognition awards: Gold for graduation and Silver for postsecondary readiness and effectiveness. Boundaries can split neighborhoods, so confirm by address. See USD 232 schools.

It is Panasonic Energy’s $4 billion electric-vehicle battery plant, which opened in De Soto in July 2025. The plant had about 1,400 employees in early 2026, working toward a target of about 4,000 jobs. It is the main reason so many new homes and apartments are being planned in and around De Soto.

Yes. Beale Infrastructure has broken ground on a data center campus in De Soto, and Digital Realty has proposed a second campus that is not yet approved. As of October 2026, Digital Realty’s proposal included a $1,000-a-year payment to De Soto households for 10 years. Follow the KC Metro Data Center Watch.

Yes. The City of De Soto requires a residential permit for fences, sheds and other accessory buildings, decks, pools, and retaining walls taller than 4 feet. Applications need a plot plan showing the project’s location, and sheds need construction drawings. Call Building Inspection at 913-586-5252 for fees and setbacks. If the home is in an HOA, its covenants can add rules on top of the city’s. Check HOA and city rules.

No. About 25% of recent De Soto sales had HOA dues, with median dues of about $100 a year. Several established neighborhoods, including Cherokee Woods, Parker Heights and Possum Creek, have no HOA at all. Filter De Soto neighborhoods by HOA.

De Soto has a city aquatic center, a public 18-hole golf course, and Kill Creek Park a few miles southeast. The De Soto Aquatic Center (32907 W. 84th St.) is open Memorial Day to Labor Day with slides, diving boards and lap lanes. Oak Country Golf Course (8800 Scott Dr.) is a public, par-66 course. Kill Creek Park has a swimming beach, a marina and more than 12 miles of trails. Bring sunscreen; Kansas summers don’t negotiate.

Yes. Hillside Village in De Soto offers assisted living and skilled nursing, with 65 units. For homes with one-level living or low-maintenance townhomes, see Country Village Townhomes, where exterior maintenance is provided.

Yes. The De Soto Aquatic Center at 32907 W. 84th Street has diving boards, water slides, lap lanes, a water play area and concessions. It’s open Memorial Day through Labor Day, and a day pass is $5. Swim lessons, a swim team and water fitness classes are offered too.

The City Council meets the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 32905 W. 84th Street. The council has five at-large members plus the mayor.

Yes. On lots under one acre, you can keep up to five hens with a city permit, but no roosters. Larger lots of an acre or more can keep up to 12 birds per acre (25 max), including one rooster.

Only July 2 and 3 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and July 4 from 10 a.m. to midnight. Bottle rockets and sky lanterns are not allowed, and you can’t set off fireworks in parks, on streets or on any city property.

Yes. The owner or occupant of a lot next to a sidewalk must clear snow and ice within 12 hours after sunrise the day after it falls. If the walk isn’t cleared, the city may clear it and add the cost to the property’s tax bill, and a violation carries a $25 fine (City Code Sec. 13-111).

Each household can hold two garage or yard sales per calendar year. Each sale can last up to four consecutive days, during daylight hours only, on private property in a residential district.

De Soto’s zoning code has no separate short-term rental ordinance. A bed and breakfast must be owner-occupied, may host up to four groups of guests in a 24-hour period, and needs a special use permit. Lodging under 28 days falls under the code’s hotel and motel definition. Call City Hall at 913-583-1182 before listing a home.

The city has drafted a master plan for a new community recreation center and held a public open house on it in fall 2026. The plan is scheduled to go to the City Council in November 2026, and if approved, the project moves into design.

Yes. Through the Contain the Rain program, the City of De Soto and Johnson County reimburse up to 50% of eligible costs for native plantings, native trees, rain barrels and rain gardens. The 2026 application deadline was Oct. 31.

Digital Realty has proposed a credit of up to $1,000 a year per De Soto household for 10 years, about $20 million in total, that could go toward property tax or utility bills. The city would help distribute it. As of October 2026 the data center was not fully approved, and a TIF hearing was expected at the Nov. 19 City Council meeting.

Yes. In June 2026 Panasonic said EV battery production will continue for existing customers while it plans to add battery cells for data centers. The first data center batteries are expected between mid-2028 and early 2029.

9.725% inside city limits as of October 2026 (state, Johnson County and city combined), and 3.225% on groceries (local tax only; Kansas dropped its state sales tax on food on Jan. 1, 2025). Part of the city is in Leavenworth County, where it is 9.25%. Nearby, rates run from 7.975% in Lake Quivira to 10.0% in Edwardsville. Rates can differ by address. Look up any address with the Kansas Department of Revenue rate locator. Source: Kansas Department of Revenue, October 2026.

The Planning Commission usually meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. at De Soto City Hall, 32905 W. 84th Street. Its 2026 meetings included Sept. 22 and Oct. 27, and the next one is set for Nov. 24, 2026. Meetings stream live on the city’s YouTube channel, and agenda packets are posted in the city’s Agenda Center.

The City of De Soto runs its own public water system (Public Water System ID KS2009102). Customers can reach City Hall at 913-583-1182, 32905 W. 84th Street, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The city runs a City Brush Site on select Saturdays. In 2026 its final openings were Saturday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 21, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., before it closed for the season. Check the city’s news page for next year’s dates.

Under De Soto’s regular rules, temporary signs may sit in the public right-of-way only from Thursday through Sunday, no matter what the sign says. During elections the city allows them from 45 days before an election through two days after. The city suggests placing signs at least 15 feet from the edge of the road, on private property with the owner’s permission, to stay out of the right-of-way.

De Soto’s noise code (Sec. 8-603) sets lower residential limits from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.: 50 dB(A), compared with 55 dB(A) during the day. During those hours, construction, motor vehicle repair, and lawnmowers, power tools or snow blowers that can be heard across a property line are not allowed. Playing sound devices that can be heard across a property line is banned from midnight to 6 a.m.

Yes. The city livestreams council meetings on its YouTube channel, and applicants or members of the public who want to take part virtually can register through the GoToWebinar link posted on each meeting agenda.

De Soto City Hall is at 32905 W. 84th Street, De Soto, KS 66018. City Council meetings and public hearings are held in the City Hall Council Chambers.