Liberal is a city located in Seward County Kansas. Liberal has a 2024 population of 18,753. It is also the county seat of Seward County. Liberal is currently declining at a rate of -1.29% annually and its population has decreased by -4.99% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 19,737 in 2020.
The average household income in Liberal is $70,357 with a poverty rate of 14.77%. The median age in Liberal is 30.4 years: 30.2 years for males, and 30.8 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Liberal was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 8,466 | 44.33% |
| Other race | 5,174 | 27.09% |
| Two or more races | 4,023 | 21.06% |
| Black or African American | 649 | 3.4% |
| Asian | 507 | 2.65% |
| Native American | 238 | 1.25% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 42 | 0.22% |
White
Other race
Two or more races
Black or African American
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 6,224 | 3 | 62.5 | 37.5 |
| Married | 2,800 | 4.01 | 85.8 | 14.3 |
| Non Family | 2,168 | 1.19 | 34.2 | 65.8 |
| Female | 892 | 3.74 | 57.4 | 42.6 |
| Male | 364 | 4.23 | 65.1 | 34.9 |
3.8
Average Family Size
3
Average Household Size
62.5%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 1,416 | 12.77% |
| Associates Degree | 899 | 8.11% |
| Bachelors Degree | 752 | 6.78% |
| Graduate Degree | 289 | 2.61% |
| High School Graduate | 3,490 | 31.47% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 2,024 | 18.25% |
| Some College | 2,219 | 20.01% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 6,244 | 3,224 | 311 |
| White | 3,678 | 3,393 | 638 |
| Other Race | 2,627 | 1,012 | 66 |
| 2+ Races | 1,739 | 1,100 | 93 |
| Black | 638 | 603 | 19 |
| Asian | 425 | 330 | 64 |
| Native American | 155 | 106 | 25 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among black people with a rate of 94.51%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 17.35%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $50,156 | $52,250 | $47,368 |
| Graduate Degree | $80,513 | $98,235 | $80,290 |
| High School Graduate | $40,787 | $44,712 | $28,036 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $38,963 | $45,187 | $27,701 |
| Overall | $40,350 | $45,945 | $29,813 |
| Some College | $36,525 | $49,219 | $30,897 |
$40,350
Average Earnings
$45,945
Average Male
$29,813
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
39.9% of Liberal residents speak only English, while 60.1% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 56.64% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 12,528 | 1,849 | 14.76% |
| Other | 5,155 | 926 | 17.96% |
| White | 4,573 | 726 | 15.88% |
| Multiple | 3,991 | 366 | 9.17% |
| Black | 617 | 70 | 11.35% |
| Native | 234 | 25 | 10.68% |
14.77%
Overall Poverty Rate
13.95%
Male Poverty Rate
15.65%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Liberal is Other, with 17.96% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Liberal is Multiple, with 9.17% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.34%. Among those working part-time, it was 22.65%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 25.36%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 16.84% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 15.25% |
| High School | 11.26% |
| Some College | 7.58% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 80% |
| Male Unemployed | 38.41% |
| Female Employed | 10.11% |
| Male Employed | 6.7% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $68,688 | $81,074 |
| Households | $55,602 | $70,357 |
| Married Families | $77,410 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $42,934 | $44,722 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
42.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
44.2%
Male Marriage Rate
40.5%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
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 55-64.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
317
Number of Veterans
306
Male Veterans
11
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 121 |
| Second Gulf War | 65 |
| First Gulf War | 30 |
| World War II | 8 |
| Korea | 3 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 65 to 74 | 119 |
| 75+ | 83 |
| 55 to 64 | 59 |
| 18 to 34 | 42 |
| 35 to 54 | 14 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 300 | 4.55% |
| Black | 17 | 2.62% |
| Hispanic | 10 | 0.13% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
17.01%
Veteran Poverty Rate
28.23%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
70.5%
Labor Force Participation
68.5%
Employment Rate
2.7%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
48.55%
Born in Liberal
70.77%
Native Born
29.23%
Foreign Born
17.21%
Non Citizen
12.03%
Naturalized
70.77% of Liberal residents were born in the United States, with 48.55% having been born in Kansas. 17.21% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 17,523 | -246 | -1.38% |
| 2028 | 17,769 | -246 | -1.37% |
| 2027 | 18,015 | -246 | -1.35% |
| 2026 | 18,261 | -246 | -1.33% |
| 2025 | 18,507 | -246 | -1.31% |
| 2024 | 18,753 | -246 | -1.29% |
| 2023 | 18,999 | -260 | -1.35% |
| 2022 | 19,259 | -389 | -1.98% |
| 2021 | 19,648 | -89 | -0.45% |
| 2020 | 19,737 | 573 | 2.99% |
| 2019 | 19,164 | -437 | -2.23% |
| 2018 | 19,601 | -294 | -1.48% |
| 2017 | 19,895 | -602 | -2.94% |
| 2016 | 20,497 | -341 | -1.64% |
| 2015 | 20,838 | -17 | -0.08% |
| 2014 | 20,855 | -12 | -0.06% |
| 2013 | 20,867 | -42 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 20,909 | 209 | 1.01% |
| 2011 | 20,700 | 150 | 0.73% |
| 2010 | 20,550 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 19,666 | 3,093 | 18.66% |
| 1990 | 16,573 | 1,662 | 11.15% |
| 1980 | 14,911 | 1,049 | 7.57% |
| 1970 | 13,862 | 49 | 0.35% |
| 1960 | 13,813 | 6,679 | 93.62% |
| 1950 | 7,134 | 2,724 | 61.77% |
| 1940 | 4,410 | -884 | -16.7% |
| 1930 | 5,294 | 1,681 | 46.53% |
| 1920 | 3,613 | -13,910 | -79.38% |