Spook Hall
Liberal’s story
146 years in pictures
Census counts: 546 in 1890, a peak of 1,160 in 1920, 629 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1948 on.
- 1880Liberal is settled
Photo: Public domain · Public domain
Population
638
2025 Census estimate · +0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$202K
+2.3% in a year
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
45.8
years
Jobs based here
158
A commuter town
Is Liberal a good place to live?
Liberal’s going rate for rent is $650 a month, below both the Missouri town median ($971 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Liberal has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
638 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Liberal: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Liberal, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of LiberalEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterLiberal PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown’s haulerThe town’s contract hauler picks up at the curb for every homeTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Missouri you can register online until 27 days before Election Day, in person until 27 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 27 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBartonBarton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code6476264762 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Liberal.
Work & commute
Liberal has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Employers in Liberal shed 39 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 158. Only 8% of working residents stay in Liberal for work; the rest commute out. Also worth knowing: 14% of Liberal residents live below the poverty line, against 14% in Missouri’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Pittsburg (12%), Lamar (9%) and Joplin (6%).
8%work in town
| Liberal | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 8% | 13% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Liberal8%
Pittsburg12%
Lamar9%
Joplin6%
Springfield5%
27 mi
median commute distance
158
jobs based in Liberal
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
High risk in Liberal, with inland flooding at the top
Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in just over three quarters of U.S. communities. Households in Liberal have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2009. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 40% come from inland flooding and 24% from drought.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
A home in Liberal is worth about $202K, on Zillow’s estimate
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 2.3% in value. Liberal: just over two thirds of households are owner-occupiers.
$202KZillow home value
Typical home value
Liberal$202K
Missouri$265K
+2.3%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Expect four seasons and hot summers in Liberal
For Liberal, the peak summer temperature is 90°F.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–46°
Spring46–68°
Summer67–88°
Fall48–70°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 6
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Liberal
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Liberal is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
4
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Liberal is
Among adults in Liberal, 39% have obesity. In Liberal, 17% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 32% get no exercise outside work.
| Liberal | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better27 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Liberal | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.9% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.2% | 8% |
| More smokers | 19.9% | 16% |
Cox Barton County Hospital
12.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 543 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Liberal City Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Liberal
18pages on Liberal
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Liberal; the nearest are
Pittsburg State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Pittsburg, KS15.4 mi$8,400 in-state tuitionFort Scott Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fort Scott, KS20.8 mi$3,390 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Liberal residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Missouri.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Liberal for work
Where Liberal’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
158jobs based in Liberal
8%of working residents work in town
27 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Liberal
City in Missouri, United States
Liberal is a city in Barton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 629 at the 2020 census. Liberal was founded as an atheist utopia in 1880 by George Wasler, who named it after the Liberal League in nearby Lamar. The city had restrictions on both religious buildings and saloons, instead offering intellectual pursuits. A contingent of Christian residents moved to the town and began holding religious services against Walser's wishes, and eventually took hold of the settlement.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1880
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 902 ft
- ZIP code
- 64762
- Area code
- 417
Questions about Liberal
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Liberal, MO a good place to live?
Liberal has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Liberal, MO known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Bob Harmon and Lester Thomas Davis.