Liberal, KS Micro Area

Metro Area

Population: 21,640 (2023 estimate)

Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA)

Metro area data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) are defined by the Office of Management and Budget and group counties with a central urban core plus surrounding communities that are economically tied to it. Metro areas often cross county and state lines, making them the best unit for understanding regional labor markets, housing costs, and commute patterns.

Metro income rankings Compare to another metro

Trends 2017–2023

Income Poverty Home Values Rent Homeownership Education Unemployment Commute Time Work From Home Foreign-Born Uninsured

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).

Quick Facts — Liberal, KS Micro Area

What is the median household income in Liberal, KS Micro Area?: The median household income in Liberal, KS Micro Area is $62,269 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
What is the poverty rate in Liberal, KS Micro Area?: The poverty rate in Liberal, KS Micro Area is 10.8% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the median home value in Liberal, KS Micro Area?: $134,000 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the average rent in Liberal, KS Micro Area?: The median gross rent in Liberal, KS Micro Area is $924 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What percentage of Liberal, KS Micro Area residents have a college degree?: 12.7% of adults in Liberal, KS Micro Area hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).

Population

21,640

Median Income

$62,269

Median Home Value

$134,000

Poverty Rate

10.8%

Unemployment (ACS 2023)

4.2%

Median Age

31.0 yrs

Since 2019 Median Income: +$12,978 (+26.3%) Home Value: +$28,700 (+27.3%) Poverty Rate: -2.8 pp (-20.6%) Bachelor's+: +1.7 pp (+15.5%) Unemployment: -0.8 pp (-16%)

Demographics

Total Population 21,640

Median Age 31.0

Female 47.5%

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 66.6% White (non-Hisp.) 25.9% Black 2.7% Asian 2.4% Two or More 27.5% Other 25.1%

Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Vietnamese

1.2%

Indian

0.2%

Chinese

0.1%

Korean

0.1%

Japanese

0.1%

Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Mexican

58.2%

Cuban

1.3%

Puerto Rican

0.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Income & Poverty

Median Household Income $62,269 ±$6,466

Per Capita Income $76,356

Median Family Income $76,250

Poverty Rate 10.8%

Child Poverty Rate 18.1%

Working-Age Poverty Rate —

SNAP Recipients 10.3%

Social Security Income —

Retirement Income 13.3%

Household Income Distribution

< $10k

3.0%

$10–15k

4.3%

$15–25k

7.7%

$25–35k

10.8%

$35–50k

14.8%

$50–75k

18.8%

$75–100k

16.0%

$100–150k

13.3%

$150–200k

5.9%

$200k+

5.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Housing

Total Housing Units 8,299

Owner-Occupied 61.2%

Renter-Occupied 38.8%

Vacancy Rate 13.1%

Median Home Value $134,000

Median Gross Rent $924

Owner Cost Burden (30%+) 19.9%

Renter Cost Burden (30%+) 30.3%

Home Value Distribution

< $50k

15.1%

$50–100k

17.5%

$100–200k

23.3%

$200–300k

11.9%

$300–500k

4.3%

$500k–$1M

0.2%

$1M+

1.0%

Gross Rent Distribution

< $500

6.8%

$500–1k

56.9%

$1–1.5k

31.8%

$1.5–2k

3.8%

$2–2.5k

0.7%

Vehicle Availability

No vehicle

8.9%

1 vehicle

30.4%

2 vehicles

35.5%

25.2%

Housing Type

Single-fam. det.

65.0%

Single-fam. att.

1.9%

2–4 units

4.5%

5–19 units

2.6%

20+ units

1.1%

Mobile home

12.9%

Housing Age

Pre-1940

10.2%

1940–1969

3.5%

1970–1999

17.9%

2000–2009

4.3%

2010+

7.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Education

High School or Higher 71.9%

Bachelor's or Higher 12.7%

Graduate Degree 3.1%

Some College / Associate 21.3%

Less Than High School 16.3%

Enrolled in School —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Employment

Labor Force Participation 69.9%

Unemployment Rate 4.2%

Work from Home 3.0%

Self-Employed 5.7%

Government Workers 15.1%

Private For-Profit 79.2%

Industry

Manufacturing

27.4%

Edu/Health

21.3%

Retail

9.5%

Agriculture

9.3%

Arts/Entmt.

6.1%

Transportation

4.7%

Finance

4.2%

Public Admin

4.2%

Construction

2.8%

Prof. Services

2.7%

Wholesale

2.4%

Information

0.5%

Occupation

Production

28.0%

Management

26.0%

Sales

18.6%

Construction

14.1%

Food Prep

13.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Commute

Median Travel Time 16.5 min

Drove Alone 77.3%

Carpool 16.3%

Public Transit 0.0%

Work from Home 3.0%

Walked 1.9%

Bicycle —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Households & Families

Total Households 7,208

Avg. Household Size 2.00

Avg. Family Size —

Married-Couple Households 44.3%

Single-Mother Households —

Single-Father Households —

Living Alone —

Households with Children 20.3%

Multigenerational —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Age Distribution

Under 5

8.6%

5–9

9.6%

10–14

7.4%

15–19

8.4%

20–24

7.7%

25–34

14.6%

35–44

12.4%

45–54

10.9%

55–64

4.1%

65–74

6.1%

75–84

5.2%

85+

3.3%

Under 18: 30.9% Working age (18–64): 69.1% 65 and over: 10.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Social Characteristics

Immigration

Foreign Born 28.7%

Naturalized Citizen 37.4%

Speaks English Less Than Very Well 27.1%

Foreign-Born Origin

Latin America

91.7%

Asia

5.5%

Africa

2.0%

Europe

0.2%

Veterans & Disability

Veteran 2.2%

With a Disability 10.7%

Cognitive Difficulty —

Ambulatory Difficulty —

Health Insurance

Insured 86.1%

Uninsured 13.9%

Employer Insurance —

Medicaid —

Medicare —

Technology & Mobility

Broadband Internet 87.0%

Has a Computer 93.1%

Same House 1 Year Ago 88.0%

Moved from Abroad 0.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023