Kearney receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Kearney
Liberty
Opportunity
85 · Top 3%
vs83 · Top 5%
Growth
80 · Top 5%
vs55 · Top 41%
Climate
66 · Bottom 37%
vs66 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs84 · Top 18%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs98 · Top 13%
Schools
85 · Top 8%
vs61 · Top 38%
Access
91 · Bottom 47%
vs93 · Top 46%
Economic stability
84 · Top 3%
vs71 · Top 27%
Measured values
| Metric | Kearney | Liberty | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,885 | 30,689 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,622 | $88,542 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,009 | $40,242 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 816/sq mi | 1,035/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $298,400 | $283,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,251 | $1,160 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.5% | 73.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.8% | 39.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.6% | 7.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 71 | 62 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.5 | 2.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 54.3% | -32.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 39.3" | 38.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 37.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.81 | 14.31 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 55.6% | 38.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 60.1% | 55.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 17.0% | 24.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Kearney
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Liberty
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Kearney, MO · Liberty, MO · How this is calculated: methodology