Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Liberal, Kansas
A $135,000 home here costs
$1,286per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $694. The real number is $592 higher every month — 85% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Liberal against Seward County and Kansas
| Measure | Liberal | Seward County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $134,500 | $134,000 |
| Median property tax | $2,356 | $2,257 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.752% | 1.684% |
| Median gross rent | $931 | $924 |
| Population | 19,107 | 21,640 |
The weather behind that power bill
Liberal sits in Seward County, which averages a high of 93.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.7°F in its coldest, with 21.11" of precipitation a year and 44% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,443 cooling and 4,778 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Seward County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Seward County
No other places of this size are published in Seward County.
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Liberal?
A $135,000 home in Liberal, Kansas costs approximately $1,286 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $694 principal and interest, $197 property tax, $79 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $113 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Liberal?
Liberal has an effective property tax rate of 1.752%, based on a median home value of $134,500 and median real estate taxes of $2,356. That is higher than the Seward County average of 1.684%.
What is the average home price in Liberal?
The median owner-occupied home value in Liberal, Kansas is $134,500, against $134,000 across Seward County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Liberal?
Median gross rent in Liberal is $931 a month, against $1,286 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Liberal — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Kansas.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.