Liberal, KS

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
21,486
US Senator
Jerry Moran
Republican Party
US Senator
Roger Marshall
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
12.2%
5.88% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$63,827
2.5% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$136,500
1.87% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
10,045
3.8% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Liberal, KS reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

83.8% of the residents in Liberal, KS are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Liberal, KS are Seward County Community College (439 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Liberal, KS was $136,500, and the homeownership rate was 61.8%.

Most people in Liberal, KS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 14.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Liberal, KS was 2 cars per household.

Liberal, KS borders Guymon, OK.

United StatesKansas

Population & Diversity

Liberal, KS is home to a population of 21.5k people, from which 83.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 29.3% of Liberal, KS residents were born outside of the country (6.29k people).

In 2024, there were 1.28 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (6.89k people) in Liberal, KS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.39k White (Non-Hispanic) and 4.94k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

83.8%
2024 Citizenship
82%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 83.8% of Liberal, KS residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Liberal, KS was 82%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Liberal, KS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Liberal, KS
  1. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    6.89k ± 799
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    5.39k ± 94
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    4.94k ± 1.07k
67.4%
Hispanic Population
14.5k people

In 2024, there were 1.28 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (6.89k people) in Liberal, KS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.39k White (Non-Hispanic) and 4.94k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

67.4% of the people in Liberal, KS are hispanic (14.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Liberal, KS as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Kansas.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    83,075 ± 6,976 people
  2. India
    12,929 ± 2,785 people
  3. Vietnam
    10,325 ± 2,490 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kansas was Mexico, the natal country of 83,075 Kansas residents, followed by India with 12,929 and Vietnam with 10,325.

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Foreign-Born Population

29.3%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
6.29k people
28.7%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
6.21k people

As of 2024, 29.3% of Liberal, KS residents (6.29k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Liberal, KS was 28.7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Liberal, KS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    139 ± 72
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    52 ± 58
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    32 ± 31

Liberal, KS has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.67 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Liberal, KS.

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Economy

The economy of Liberal, KS employs 10k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Liberal, KS were Manufacturing (2,756 people), Retail Trade (1,171 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,030 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($70,833), Transportation & Warehousing ($67,965), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($67,847).

Employment

Occupations

10k
2024 Value
± 898
−3.8%
1 Year decline
± 12.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Liberal, KS declined at a rate of −3.8%, from 10.4k employees to 10k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Liberal, KS, are Production Occupations (1,944 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,063 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (820 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Liberal, KS.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kansas.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kansas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

10k
2024 Value
± 898
−3.8%
1 Year decline
± 12.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Liberal, KS declined at a rate of −3.8%, from 10.4k employees to 10k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Liberal, KS, are Manufacturing (2,756 people), Retail Trade (1,171 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,030 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Liberal, KS, though some of these residents may live in Liberal, KS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$54,769
Median earning men ± $4,125
$35,799
Median earning women ± $3,916

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($77,930), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,485), and Construction ($66,280).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($61,125), Wholesale Trade ($43,800), and Manufacturing ($41,364).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kansas.
Y-Axis
3.11%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.44M people employed in Kansas. This represents a 3.11% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kansas.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $314k
    Manufacturing
  2. $52.9k
    Transportation and Warehousing
  3. $51.6k
    Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kansas went to Donald J. Trump with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (41%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.23%).

Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall are the senators currently representing the state of Kansas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kansas is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Liberal, KS. Showing the available data for Kansas.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (57.2%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (41%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.23%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kansas went to Donald J. Trump with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (41%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.23%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kansas for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Kansas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kansas.
Jerry Moran
Senator from Kansas3
Assumed office on January 3, 2011
Roger Marshall
Senator from Kansas2
Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall are the senators currently representing Kansas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kansas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Liberal, KS awarded 439 degrees. The student population of Liberal, KS in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 702 male students and 1,085 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Liberal, KS are Hispanic or Latino (279 and 65.8%), White (91 and 21.5%), Black or African American (18 and 4.25%), and Unknown (16 and 3.77%).

The largest universities in Liberal, KS by number of degrees awarded are Seward County Community College (439 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Liberal, KS are Liberal Arts & Sciences (134 and 30.5%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (69 and 15.7%), and Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (32 and 7.29%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,787 students enrolled in Liberal, KS, 39.3% men and 60.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 939 records, of which 63.3% were women and 36.7% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    134 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    28 degrees awarded
  3. Respiratory Care Therapist
    7 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Liberal, KS was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 134 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Liberal, KS according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Seward County Community College
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
439 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Seward County Community College with 439 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 170 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Liberal, KS, which is 0.632 times less than the 269 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 279 degrees mean that there were 3.07 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 91 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,432) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,440) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,440) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Liberal, KS was $136,500 in 2024, which is 0.41 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $134,000 to $136,500, a 1.87% increase. The homeownership rate in Liberal, KS is 61.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Liberal, KS have an average commute time of 14.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Liberal, KS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$136,500
Median Property Value 2024
±$21,591
$4,485
Median Property Taxes
±$547

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Liberal, KS the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Liberal, KS compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

61.8%
Homeownership
2024
67.3%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 61.8% of the housing units in Liberal, KS were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Liberal, KS compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$63,827
Median Household Income
± $8,322
7.26k
Number of Households
± 748

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.26k households in Liberal, KS grew to $63,827 from the previous year's value of $62,269.

The following chart displays the households in Liberal, KS distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Liberal, KS is from Kansas.
0.458
2023 Wage GINI in Kansas
0.462
2022 Wage GINI in Kansas

In 2023, the income inequality in Kansas was 0.458 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.893% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kansas was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kansas in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kansas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (80.7%)
  2. Carpooled (12%)
  3. Worked At Home (3.38%)

In 2024, 80.7% of workers in Liberal, KS drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12%) and those who worked at home (3.38%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

14.7 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Liberal, KS have a shorter commute time (14.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.49% of the workforce in Liberal, KS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Liberal, KS compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Liberal, KS distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Liberal, KS have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Liberal, KS (2.58k out of 21.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males < 5 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Liberal, KS is Hispanic, followed by Two Or More and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

87.5% of the population of Liberal, KS has health coverage, with 50.1% on employee plans, 15.5% on Medicaid, 8.85% on Medicare, 12.2% on non-group plans, and 0.788% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Kansas see 1,285 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,285 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1583 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 395 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.3% were men and 47.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kansas.
1,285 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Kansas

Primary care physicians in Kansas see an average of 1,285 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,285 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Kansas in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 31.6% under 18 years, 23.2% between 18 and 34 years, 34.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.3% were men and 47.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

12.5%
Uninsured
50.1%
Employer Coverage
15.5%
Medicaid
8.85%
Medicare
12.2%
Non-Group
0.788%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Liberal, KS declined by 9.89% from 13.9% to 12.5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Liberal, KS changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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