State
County
Land Area
11.4 sq mi
Density
1,602.0/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
-2.28%
Growth Since 2010
-10.74%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
20,480
Liberal is a city located in Kansas. With a 2020 population of 18,320, it is the 24th largest city in Kansas and the 1991st largest city in the United States. Liberal is currently declining at a rate of -2.28% annually and its population has decreased by -10.74% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 20,525 in 2010. Liberal reached it's highest population of 20,908 in 2012. Spanning over 12 miles, Liberal has a population density of 1,602 people per square mile.
The average household income in Liberal is $60,056 with a poverty rate of 16.58%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $791 per month, and the median house value is $106,400. The median age in Liberal is 29.4 years, 29 years for males, and 30.1 years for females. For every 100 females there are 104.5 males.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Liberal was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
| Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20,480 | -474 | -2.31% |
| 2020 | 20,954 | -474 | -2.26% |
| 2019 | 21,428 | -474 | -2.21% |
| 2018 | 21,902 | -343 | -1.57% |
| 2017 | 22,245 | -652 | -2.93% |
| 2016 | 22,897 | -376 | -1.64% |
| 2015 | 23,273 | -30 | -0.13% |
| 2014 | 23,303 | -8 | -0.03% |
| 2013 | 23,311 | -42 | -0.18% |
| 2012 | 23,353 | 225 | 0.96% |
| 2011 | 23,128 | 158 | 0.68% |
| 2010 | 22,970 | 0.00% |
| Race | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 11,336 | 57.45% |
| Some Other Race | 6,200 | 31.42% |
| Black or African American | 1,039 | 5.27% |
| Asian | 576 | 2.92% |
| Two or More Races | 410 | 2.08% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 124 | 0.63% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 46 | 0.23% |
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 6,569 | 2.93 | 65.3 |
| Married | 2,964 | 3.64 | 81.5 |
| Non Family | 1,977 | 1.33 | 46.6 |
| Female | 965 | 3.39 | 66.8 |
| Male | 663 | 3.84 | 46.6 |
3.46
Average Family Size
2.93
Average Household Size
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 2,565 | 22.30% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 1,328 | 11.54% |
| High School Graduate | 3,431 | 29.82% |
| Some College | 2,148 | 18.67% |
| Associates Degree | 891 | 7.75% |
| Bachelors Degree | 763 | 6.63% |
| Graduate Degree | 378 | 3.29% |
| Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 6,136 | 3,013 | 277 |
| White | 4,057 | 3,754 | 640 |
| Other Race | 3,250 | 1,185 | 55 |
| Black | 762 | 397 | 42 |
| Asian | 418 | 319 | 141 |
| Multiple Races | 134 | 125 | 37 |
| Native American | 48 | 45 | 18 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 93.75%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among native american people with a rate of 37.50%.
$31,194
Average Earnings
$35,321
Average Male
$25,637
Average Female
40.33% of Liberal residents speak only English, while 59.67% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 54.73% of the population.
| Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 12,237 | 2,489 | 20.34% |
| Other | 6,181 | 1,076 | 17.41% |
| White | 5,094 | 395 | 7.75% |
| Black | 934 | 274 | 29.34% |
| Multiple | 393 | 73 | 18.58% |
16.58%
Overall Poverty Rate
14.38%
Male Poverty Rate
18.92%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Liberal is Black, with 29.34% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Liberal is White, with 7.75% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.42%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.54%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 27.43%.
45.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
46.8%
Male Marriage Rate
45.0%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 409 | 4.97% |
| Hispanic | 58 | 0.76% |
| 2 or More | 24 | 16.33% |
| Black | 7 | 0.89% |
| Indian | 3 | 6.25% |
8.81%
Veteran Poverty Rate
31.43%
Veteran Disability Rate
72.8%
Labor Force Participation
69.2%
Employment Rate
5%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
68.64%
Native Born
31.36%
Foreign Born
20.37%
Non Citizen
10.99%
Naturalized
68.64% of Liberal residents were born in the United States, with 46.50% having been born in Kansas. 20.37% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
| Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18,320 | -427 | -2.28% |
| 2020 | 18,747 | -427 | -2.23% |
| 2019 | 19,174 | -427 | -2.18% |
| 2018 | 19,601 | -301 | -1.51% |
| 2017 | 19,902 | -588 | -2.87% |
| 2016 | 20,490 | -343 | -1.65% |
| 2015 | 20,833 | -20 | -0.10% |
| 2014 | 20,853 | -10 | -0.05% |
| 2013 | 20,863 | -45 | -0.22% |
| 2012 | 20,908 | 208 | 1.00% |
| 2011 | 20,700 | 148 | 0.72% |
| 2010 | 20,552 | 886 | 0.44% |
| 2000 | 19,666 | 3,093 | 1.73% |
| 1990 | 16,573 | 1,662 | 1.06% |
| 1980 | 14,911 | 1,049 | 0.73% |
| 1970 | 13,862 | 49 | 0.04% |
| 1960 | 13,813 | 6,679 | 6.83% |
| 1950 | 7,134 | 2,724 | 4.93% |
| 1940 | 4,410 | -884 | -1.81% |
| 1930 | 5,294 | 1,681 | 3.89% |
| 1920 | 3,613 | 0.00% |