What it's like to live in Liberty
Liberty is a small city in Missouri with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Liberty deals with cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Liberty compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Liberty
Based on Liberty's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,320
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,400 a year
- 44% of Liberty renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$56,660
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $28,330
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 18% below US
$1,160/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,160 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $283,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $283,300 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 67% below US
108 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1155/100k · Liberty Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 12% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 20°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 10% above US
40% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 40% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Harry S Truman National Historic Site (22 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Liberty's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,160/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Liberty
All Missouri guides →Moving to Kansas City →
11 mi away · pop. 510,612
Rent $1,238/mo · Income $69,166
Compare with Liberty →Moving to Independence →
11 mi away · pop. 121,740
Rent $1,109/mo · Income $60,339
Compare with Liberty →Not sure Liberty is the one?
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