Liberal, Seward County, Kansas Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Liberal, Kansas, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Liberal, Kansas. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Liberal, Kansas. The estimated population of Liberal, Kansas is 697 people, with a median age of 29.1.

We can look at the total population in Liberal over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
697
+32.76%
+13.33%
2020
525
-20.57% -
2019
661
-6.51% -
2018
707
+14.96%
-
2017
615
- -

Population of Liberal, Kansas by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
88.2%
87.5%
+0.80%
Black/African American
0%
0%
0.00%
Native
0%
2.6%
-100.00%
Hispanic
11.8%
9.9%
+19.19%
Asian
0%
0%
0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
0.00%
Two Or More Races
0%
0%
0.00%
Other
0%
0%
0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Liberal, Kansas by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 29.1 +3.56% 30.2 +3.78% 26.3 -2.23%
2020 28.1 -3.77% 29.1 -0.34% 26.9 -7.24%
2019 29.2 +1.74% 29.2 +28.63% 29 -1.69%
2018 28.7 -5.9% 22.7 +0.44% 29.5 -11.94%
2017 30.5 - 22.6 - 33.5 -

The median age of Liberal, Kansas gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 77 +10.2% 59 -5.4% 84 48
10 to 19 59 +24.62% 52 +108.21% 70 119
20 to 29 19 51.38% 25 +56.01% 13 32
30 to 39 47 +30.35% 52 +30.1% 59 62
40 to 49 23 +76.03% 46 -54.49% 36 23
50 to 59 7 +223.2% 28 +61.12% 29 47
60 to 69 49 -40.66% 44 126.89% 29 10
70+ 12 +122.22% 16 16.25% 20 16

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Liberal, Kansas is $71,583.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Liberal.

  • Under 25
    $0.00
  • 25 to 44
    $66,250.00
  • 45 to 64
    $110,729.00
  • 65 and over
    $67,375.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Liberal, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Liberal, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Liberal, Kansas is currently $94,802.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

5.46% of households in Liberal are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Liberal against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    3.28%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.40%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    30.05%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    0.00%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    23.50%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    15.30%
  • $200,000 or more
    5.46%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Liberal is $27,473.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Liberal by the total population of Liberal.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Liberal, Kansas, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Liberal to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    18.04%
  • Bachelor's degree
    34.90%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    16.08%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    30.98%
  • Less than high school diploma
    0.00%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Liberal that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Liberal over the age of 16 is 465.

Of those people, a total of 70.30% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Liberal is 68.20%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 89 34.80% 0.00%
20 to 24 years 0 0.00% 0.00%
25 to 29 years 45 100.00% 22.20%
30 to 34 years 46 93.50% 0.00%
35 to 44 years 81 79.00% 0.00%
45 to 54 years 89 87.60% 0.00%
55 to 59 years 40 100.00% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 24 70.80% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 33 27.30% 0.00%
75 years and over 18 0.00% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Liberal. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 440 68.60% 3.30%
Black or African American 0 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 0 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 6 100.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 19 100.00% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 39 87.20% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 426 68.80% 3.40%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Liberal as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Liberal is 317, with median earnings of $35,417.00.

Women in Liberal, Kansas earning approximately 22.60% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 317 $35,417.00
Male 140 $93,000.00
Female 177 $20,996.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 63 $17,316.00
Business and Financial 25 $0.00
Computer and Mathematical 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 15 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00
Community and Social Service 13 $0.00
Legal 5 $0.00
Educational and Library 0 $0.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 2 $0.00
Healthcare Support 20 $5,909.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 3 $0.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 42 $0.00
Personal Care and Service 9 $0.00
Sales 14 $0.00
Office and Administrative Support 40 $36,833.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 10 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 16 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 29 $22,132.00
Production 0 $0.00
Transportation and Material Moving 11 $38,125.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 37 $145,625.00 26 $16,477.00
Business and Financial 19 $0.00 6 $0.00
Computer and Mathematical 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 15 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Community and Social Service 0 $0.00 13 $0.00
Legal 5 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 2 $0.00 0 $0.00
Healthcare Support 0 $0.00 20 $5,909.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 0 $0.00 3 $0.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 0 $0.00 42 $0.00
Personal Care and Service 0 $0.00 9 $0.00
Sales 14 $0.00 0 $0.00
Office and Administrative Support 4 $0.00 36 $36,500.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 10 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 16 $0.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 12 $0.00 17 $0.00
Production 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Transportation and Material Moving 6 $0.00 5 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 183 households in Liberal, with an average household size of 3.81 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 158 families in Liberal with an average family size of 4.06 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 153 0 5 25
Average Household Size 3.88 0 15.6 0
Total Families 153 0 5 0
Average Household Size 3.88 0 9.4 0

Poverty

Of the 158 families in Liberal, 0.00% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Liberal:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 208 housing units in Liberal, Kansas.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 183 87.98%
Vacant 25 12.02%

12.02% of the total 208 housing units in Liberal are rental units. This is approximately 25 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 144 are occupied by the owner - or 69.23% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Liberal is $642.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Liberal that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    14
  • Less than $500
    0
  • $500 to $999
    20
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    2
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    3
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Liberal is $236,700.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Liberal that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    3
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    12
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    11
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    24
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    51
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    43
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    0
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Liberal. The chart below shows the number of properties in Liberal that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    24
  • 1940 to 1949
    13
  • 1950 to 1959
    9
  • 1960 to 1969
    12
  • 1970 to 1979
    13
  • 1980 to 1989
    19
  • 1990 to 1999
    99
  • 2000 to 2009
    19
  • 2010 to 2013
    0
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Liberal that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    0
  • 1 vehicle available
    11
  • 2 vehicles available
    93
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    79

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Liberal get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Liberal that commute to work in a particular way.

21.9 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Liberal.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    24
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    30
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    20
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    48
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    42
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    0
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    26
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    0
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    0
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    0
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    36
  • 90 or more minutes
    0

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Liberal, Kansas in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.