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Compare towns

Gladstone vs Liberty

8 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (6.3× in Liberty) and street grid (2.7× in Gladstone).

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Gladstone, MOAn outdoors townMissouri · 27,207 people
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Liberty, MOA history townMissouri · 30,689 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $380 more a month in Liberty

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Gladstone$1,660/mo
Typical home $271K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $1,088/mo · Housing →
Liberty$2,040/mo
Typical home $330K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.15% · or rent about $1,160/mo · Housing →

The difference: $380 a month, about $4,600 a year, between Liberty and Gladstone.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Liberty places higher on 13 of 23 MO lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Missouri ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
GladstoneLiberty
Snow a year18″13″
January low20°F19°F
July high88°F87°F
Growing season (days)193d198d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)35th31st
Outdoors & history
GladstoneLiberty
Trails2 mi13 mi
Conserved land4.5%2.7%
Settled—1822
National Register places115
Archive photos312
Famous people born here223
Community
GladstoneLiberty
Library hours a week69 hrs69 hrs
Colleges in town—1
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

8 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

GladstoneLibertyGladstoneLiberty
Gladstone ↔ Liberty7.7 miles apart
Who commutes between them
620 Gladstone residents work in Liberty (4.6% of its workers)
Work & commute in Gladstone →
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

GladstoneLiberty
People
Population 27,207Lowest 30,689Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.5%Highest MO: +2.8% +3.5%Lowest MO: +2.8%
Median age 41.9±1.8Highest 7% above MO 37.8±1.7Lowest 3% below MO
Kids under 18 20.5%±2Lowest MO: 22.3% 24.5%±2.4Highest MO: 22.3%
Liberty and Gladstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.5%±1.9Highest MO: 17.9% 15.9%±1.4Lowest MO: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 31.7%Lowest MO: 32.4% 39.6%Highest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.9%±0.9Lowest MO: 5.7% 6.4%±1Highest MO: 5.7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $79,271±$6kLowest 12% above MO $88,542±$9kHighest 25% above MO
Liberty and Gladstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $231,500±$10kLowest about the MO average $283,300±$10kHighest 23% above MO
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,088±$69Lowest 5% above MO $1,160±$103Highest 12% above MO
Liberty and Gladstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,477Lowest 27% above MO $3,267Highest 68% above MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.1%±7Lowest MO: 45.6% 47.4%±8.8Highest MO: 45.6%
Liberty and Gladstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 11%Highest MO: 12.6% 7%Lowest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 68.4%Lowest MO: 68.1% 73%Highest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973Lowest 5 yrs older than MO 1986Highest 8 yrs newer than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 min about the MO average 23 min about the MO average
Work from home 14.7%±2.8Lowest MO: 13% 15.9%±2.5Highest MO: 13%
Liberty and Gladstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 4.6%Lowest 17.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 12.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.58Lowest 1.35Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Kansas City (42%)Kansas City (33%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 5% work in LibertyFew work in Gladstone
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4.5%Highest 2.7%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 2.1 miLowest 13.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Lowest 17Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 109Highest 40.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #102 of 226 in MO#57 of 226 in MO
School district DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICE · NORTH KANSAS CITY 74LIBERTY 53
High school in town STAR SchoolLiberty North High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 17.4
Missouri average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Gladstone neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 6d

Gladstone Commute Time

1 neighbor in Gladstone can answer.

Liberty neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Liberty’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Gladstone and Liberty

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Gladstone

Towns like Gladstone

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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