Liberal, KS

Census Place

Add Comparison

2024 Population

19,316

US Senator

Jerry Moran

Republican Party

US Senator

Roger Marshall

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

30.6

0.971% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

13.1%

7.36% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$63,706

2.96% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$137,100

1.93% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

8,898

3.29% 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 (497 degrees awarded in 2024).

In 2024, the median property value in Liberal, KS was $137,100, and the homeownership rate was 59.4%.

Most people in Liberal, KS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 14.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Liberal, KS was 2 cars per household.

United States Kansas Seward County, KS Liberal, KS Southwest Kansas--Dodge City, Garden City & Liberal City PUMA, KS

Population & Diversity

Liberal, KS is home to a population of 19.3k people, from which 83.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 29.3% of Liberal, KS residents were born outside of the country (5.67k people).

In 2024, there were 1.46 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (6.57k people) in Liberal, KS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.49k Other (Hispanic) and 4.45k White (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

83.8%

2024 Citizenship

81.6%

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 81.6%, 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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Liberal, KS

Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
6.57k ± 836
Other (Hispanic)
4.49k ± 1.04k
White (Non-Hispanic)
4.45k ± 203

69.1%

Hispanic Population

13.3k people

69.1% of the people in Liberal, KS are hispanic (13.3k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Kansas.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
84,373 ± 7,029 people
India
14,412 ± 2,940 people
Vietnam
10,201 ± 2,475 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kansas was Mexico, the natal country of 84,373 Kansas residents, followed by India with 14,412 and Vietnam with 10,201.

Foreign-Born Population

29.3%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

5.67k people

29.1%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.56k people

As of 2024, 29.3% of Liberal, KS residents (5.67k 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 29.1%, 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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
126 ± 69
Gulf War (2001-)
49 ± 56
Gulf War (1990s)
22 ± 27

Liberal, KS has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.57 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Health

87.3% of the population of Liberal, KS has health coverage, with 49% on employee plans, 16.7% on Medicaid, 8.32% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 0.866% 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, 52.2% were men and 47.8% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 32.1% under 18 years, 23.6% between 18 and 34 years, 34.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 9.97% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.2% were men and 47.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

12.7%

Uninsured

49%

Employer Coverage

16.7%

Medicaid

8.32%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

0.866%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Liberal, KS declined by 12% from 14.5% to 12.7%.

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.

Economy

The economy of Liberal, KS employs 8.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Liberal, KS were Manufacturing (2,632 people), Retail Trade (1,089 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (956 people), and the highest paying industries were Transportation & Warehousing ($68,130), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,029), and Construction ($65,863).

Employment

Occupations

8.9k

2024 Value

± 873

−3.29%

1 Year decline

± 14%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Liberal, KS declined at a rate of −3.29%, from 9.2k employees to 8.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Liberal, KS, are Production Occupations (1,819 people), Sales & Related Occupations (966 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (739 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Liberal, KS.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

8.9k

2024 Value

± 873

−3.29%

1 Year decline

± 14%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Liberal, KS declined at a rate of −3.29%, from 9.2k employees to 8.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Liberal, KS, are Manufacturing (2,632 people), Retail Trade (1,089 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (956 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$53,125

Median earning men ± $4,559

$36,113

Median earning women ± $4,213

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($71,343), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,668), and Construction ($67,321).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($61,018), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($50,250), and Manufacturing ($41,299).

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.

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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Liberal, KS. Showing the available data for Kansas.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (57.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (41%)
Democratic Party
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.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Kansas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kansas.

Jerry Moran

Senator from Kansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Roger Marshall

Senator from Kansas

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.

Education

In 2024, universities in Liberal, KS awarded 497 degrees. The student population of Liberal, KS in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 910 male students and 1,182 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Liberal, KS are Hispanic or Latino (336 and 69.3%), White (96 and 19.8%), Unknown (28 and 5.77%), and Black or African American (15 and 3.09%).

The largest universities in Liberal, KS by number of degrees awarded are Seward County Community College (497 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Liberal, KS are Liberal Arts & Sciences (115 and 23.1%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (72 and 14.5%), and Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (54 and 10.9%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 2,092 students enrolled in Liberal, KS, 43.5% men and 56.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 1,294 records, of which 57% were women and 43% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
115 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
30 degrees awarded
Clinical Laboratory Technician
14 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Liberal, KS was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 115 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Seward County Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

497 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Seward County Community College with 497 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 194 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Liberal, KS, which is 0.64 times less than the 303 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 336 degrees mean that there were 3.5 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 96 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,496) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,664) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,460) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Liberal, KS was $137,100 in 2024, which is 0.412 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $134,500 to $137,100, a 1.93% increase. The homeownership rate in Liberal, KS is 59.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Liberal, KS have an average commute time of 14.3 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

$137,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$22,354

$3,881

Median Property Taxes

±$520

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.

Rent vs Own

59.4%

Homeownership

2024

68.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 59.4% of the housing units in Liberal, KS were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58.4%.

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

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$63,706

Median Household Income

± $9,756

6.53k

Number of Households

± 725

In 2024, the median household income of the 6.53k households in Liberal, KS grew to $63,706 from the previous year's value of $61,875.

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Liberal, KS is from Kansas.

0.459

2024 Wage GINI in Kansas

0.458

2023 Wage GINI in Kansas

In 2024, the income inequality in Kansas was 0.459 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.185% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Kansas was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.8%)
Carpooled (12.4%)
Worked At Home (3.43%)

In 2024, 79.8% of workers in Liberal, KS drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.4%) and those who worked at home (3.43%).

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.

Commute Time

14.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Liberal, KS have a shorter commute time (14.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.67% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Liberal, KS (2.49k out of 19k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males < 5 and then Males 6 - 11.

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.