Jobs, pay and daily life in Liberal, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Liberal is a city in Kansas with 19,316 residents. The median household earns $63,706 a year and the median rent is $900 a month, which is 17.0% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Liberal compares. Among the 60 largest places in Kansas, Liberal is #23 by population, #60 for college degrees (#1 = most), #54 for remote work (#1 = most), #44 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Seward County, is #16 of 105 counties for average pay ($52,156).
Liberal has 19,316 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.7% of the population of Kansas. It covers 12 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,607 people per square mile. The median age is 30.6, 18% younger than the state median (30.6 against 37.4).
The median gross rent is $900 a month (rent plus utilities), 15% below the state median ($900 against $1,060). Over a year that is 17.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $137,100, which is 2.2 times the median household income ($63,706); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 59.4% of households own their home, 12% below the state average (59.4% against 67.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Seward County was 3.7%. 68.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Seward County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 79.8% drive alone, 0.1% use public transit, 2.1% walk, 3.4% work from home. 6.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 18% below the state average (6.0% against 7.4%).
9.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 73% below the state share (9.8% against 35.6%). 29.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 299% above the state share (29.3% against 7.4%). The poverty rate is 13.1%, 16% above the state rate (13.1% against 11.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 84°F (28.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 35°F (1.6°C). About 535 mm (21 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (83 mm) and Jan the driest (14 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Guymon (39 miles, similar rent); Garden City (64 miles, rent 17% higher); Dodge City (70 miles, rent 16% higher); Woodward (95 miles, rent 7% lower). Rent differences are against Liberal; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Kansas (341) →State guide: KansasCountry guideSeward CountyKansas rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 341 federal postings open in Kansas (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 29.6% |
| Education and health care | 17.9% |
| Retail trade | 12.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 5.5% |
| Construction | 5.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 4.3% |
| Public administration | 4.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.2% |
| Other services | 4.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 3.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 2.8% |
| Information | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Liberal lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seward County | 21,486 | $1,723 million | $80,209 | 11,072 | 588 | $52,156 | +1.0% | 3.7% | 10,937 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,192 | 27.2% | $32,707 | 1.08 |
| Accommodation and food services | 822 | 18.8% | $20,467 | 0.82 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 540 | 12.3% | $69,642 | 1.15 |
| Administrative and waste services | 346 | 7.9% | $43,803 | 0.53 |
| Wholesale trade | 276 | 6.3% | $70,252 | 0.63 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 274 | 6.3% | $81,153 | 6.54 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 194 | 4.4% | $41,675 | 0.58 |
| Finance and insurance | 168 | 3.8% | $53,503 | 0.37 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 162 | 3.7% | $53,201 | 1.81 |
| Professional and technical services | 131 | 3.0% | $62,745 | 0.17 |
| Utilities | 96 | 2.2% | $95,776 | 2.28 |
| Information | 76 | 1.7% | $23,240 | 0.37 |
| Real estate and rental | 60 | 1.4% | $55,806 | 0.35 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 42 | 1.0% | $20,097 | 0.23 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 79.8% |
| Public transit | 0.1% |
| Walk | 2.1% |
| Work from home | 3.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,706 |
| Income per person | $29,479 |
| Median gross rent per month | $900 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.0% |
| Median home value | $137,100 |
| Homeowners | 59.4% |
| Poverty rate | 13.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.58%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 30.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 71.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 9.8% |
| Born abroad | 29.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 68.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.6 | 35 | 14 |
| Feb | 3.1 | 38 | 14 |
| Mar | 9.1 | 48 | 31 |
| Apr | 14.2 | 58 | 49 |
| May | 20.1 | 68 | 66 |
| Jun | 26.1 | 79 | 83 |
| Jul | 28.7 | 84 | 69 |
| Aug | 27.0 | 81 | 82 |
| Sep | 22.6 | 73 | 40 |
| Oct | 14.5 | 58 | 49 |
| Nov | 7.6 | 46 | 16 |
| Dec | 1.9 | 35 | 22 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guymon | OK | 39 mi | 12,539 | $60,075 | $887 |
| Garden City | KS | 64 mi | 27,819 | $72,865 | $1,052 |
| Dodge City | KS | 70 mi | 27,613 | $68,721 | $1,045 |
| Woodward | OK | 95 mi | 11,882 | $54,463 | $839 |
| Pratt | KS | 127 mi | 6,577 | $63,819 | $798 |
| Amarillo | TX | 137 mi | 201,885 | $65,912 | $1,092 |
| Elk City | OK | 142 mi | 11,361 | $51,272 | $943 |
| Great Bend | KS | 148 mi | 14,479 | $54,139 | $759 |
| Clinton | OK | 152 mi | 8,388 | $58,207 | $883 |
| Hays | KS | 154 mi | 21,143 | $58,459 | $922 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
19,316 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$900 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.0% of the median household income.
$63,706 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.7% (BLS county, Seward County (latest month 2026M09)).
Kansas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.