United States › Liberal MICROPOLITAN AREA
Liberal Micro Liberal, KS · 1 counties · 21,073 residents (2025 est.) · 640 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Liberal is home to 21,486 people. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 11% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 31.0. The foreign-born share is 29%. The typical home is worth $136,500, having more than doubled since 2000. The average commute runs 15 minutes.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
11% 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 22,510 in 2000
21,073 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 35 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
from 29.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
18K 20K 21K 22K 24K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Liberal Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $63,827
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,752 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,059 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 20.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 16.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.412 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 5.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 5.9%
Transportation & warehousing 3.6%
Public administration 2.9%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.7%
Education & health services 0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$136,500
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $63,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$905
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $467 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 64.1% in 2000
38.2% rent
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.89 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 19.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 36.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 1.9 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 49.4%(11,126)
Hispanic / Latino 42.1%(9,486)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 25.1%(5,392)
Hispanic / Latino 67.4%(14,486)
from 71 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 31 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 15 more ancestry groups with data from 13.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 63.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 77.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 9.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 70.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 73.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 20.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 28.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 7.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 8.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 24.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 72.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 88.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 84.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 41.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 53.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 39.4%(3,345)
Women 15+
Never married 30.9%(2,340)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 24.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 53.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 11.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 10.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 17.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 64.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 27.2% 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) 17.3%(52)
Gulf War (1990s) 21.6%(65)
Share of the 301 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.
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In this metro
Largest cities What's inside
1 component county Drill deeper
Metros similar to Liberal Head to head
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Jamestown
Income $61,856 −3%
Home value $208,400 +53%
Population 21,414 +2%
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LIBERAL VS
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LIBERAL VS
Dumas
Income $61,762 −3%
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LIBERAL VS
Brookings
Income $62,244 −2%
Home value $381,300 +179%
Population 22,621 +7%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Liberal, KS? Liberal, KS has about 21,486 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Liberal, KS? The typical household in Liberal, KS earns about $63,827 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Liberal, KS expensive? In Liberal, KS, the median home is worth about $136,500, and the typical rent is about $905 a month.
How educated are people in Liberal, KS? About 11.4% of adults age 25 and over in Liberal, KS hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Liberal, KS? About 12.2% of people in Liberal, KS live below the federal poverty line.
Has Liberal, KS grown since 1990? Yes, Liberal, KS has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,743 residents, a change of about 15 percent over that period.
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