United States › Kansas › Liberal CITY
Liberal Kansas · 19,010 residents (2025 est.) · 12.0 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Liberal is home to 19,316 people in Kansas. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 10% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 30.6. 29% of locals were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $137,100, having more than doubled since 2000. The average commute runs 14 minutes.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 30.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
10% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 19,666 in 2000
19,010 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,607 / sq mi
−2%since 2009
from 1,641 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 28.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
16K 17K 19K 20K 21K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Liberal Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $63,706
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,482 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,108 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 19.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 17.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.415 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 4.3%
Transportation & warehousing 3.3%
Public administration 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.7%
Education & health services 0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$137,100
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $65,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$900
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $466 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 63.0% in 2000
40.6% rent
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.87 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 20.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 38.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.0 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 47.6%(9,353)
Hispanic / Latino 43.3%(8,513)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 23%(4,446)
Hispanic / Latino 69.1%(13,339)
from 72 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 14 more ancestry groups with data from 13.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 63.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 76.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 15.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 9.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 70.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 74.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 21.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 29.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 8.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 24.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 72.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 87.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 83.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 40.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 54.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 41.8%(3,168)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 24.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 54.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 11.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 9.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 17.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 64.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 26.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 19.7%(49)
Gulf War (1990s) 22.1%(55)
Share of the 249 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Liberal, Kansas? Liberal, Kansas has about 19,316 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Liberal, Kansas? The typical household in Liberal, Kansas earns about $63,706 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Liberal, Kansas expensive? In Liberal, Kansas, the median home is worth about $137,100, and the typical rent is about $900 a month.
How educated are people in Liberal, Kansas? About 9.8% of adults age 25 and over in Liberal, Kansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Liberal, Kansas? About 13.1% of people in Liberal, Kansas live below the federal poverty line.
Has Liberal, Kansas grown since 1990? Yes, Liberal, Kansas has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,743 residents, a change of about 17 percent over that period.
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