Liberty Lake, Washington

History

Liberty Lake was officially incorporated on August 31, 2001.

Geography

Liberty Lake is located in the Spokane Valley. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.344 sqmi, all land.

The city is bounded by the Spokane River on the north from Hodges Road in the west to approximately Molter Road. At Molter the border shifts south to Interstate-90, which it follows to within a mile of the Idaho state line. Sprague Avenue marks the southern portion of the city limits in the east to Liberty Lake Road, from which it zig-zags west to Appleway Road at Hodges. The lake itself is located outside of the city limits about three blocks south of Sprague.

Liberty Lake is one of the fastest-growing communities in the State of Washington. Liberty Lake is south of the Spokane River from Otis Orchards-East Farms, Washington, east of Greenacres, Washington (now part of Spokane Valley, Washington), and west of Spokane Bridge, Washington, State Line, Idaho, and Post Falls, Idaho.

Areas east of Liberty Lake Road and areas north of Appleway Road lie on the relatively flat land along the floor of the Spokane Valley. Elevations there range from between 2,000 feet above sea level at the river to around 2,150 feet around Liberty Lake Elementary School. The areas west of Liberty Lake Road and south of Appleway Road show far more topographical relief, rising from around 2,100 feet to over 2,600 feet on Carlson Hill. Kramer Hill, which rises just beyond the eastern limit of the city, quickly rises to above 2,700 feet. While Mica Peak, which rises beyond the southern shore of the lake, climbs to nearly 5,200 feet.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 2020 Census

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 12,003 people, 4,711 households, _ families residing in the city. The population density was 1921.40 PD/sqmi. There were 4,916 housing units at an average density of 786.94 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 86.18% White, 0.72% African American, 0.82% Native American, 2.84% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.51% from some other races and 7.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.94% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 7,591 people, 2,893 households, 2,019 families residing in the city. The population density was 1236.3 PD/sqmi. There were 3,344 housing units at an average density of 544.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.29% White, 0.67% African American, 0.51% Native American, 3.54% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 0.76% from some other races and 3.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.00% of the population.

There were 2,893 households 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.2% were non-families. 24.6% of households were one person and 8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.15.

The median age was 35.2 years. 30.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.8% were from 45 to 64; and 10.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 4,660 people, 1,771 households, 1,347 families residing in the Census-designated place (CDP). The population density was 1091.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,894 housing units at an average density of 443.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.69% White, 0.71% African American, 0.28% Native American, 2.60% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from some other races and 2.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.23% of the population.

There were 1,771 households 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.4% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 19.7% of households were one person and 4.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.05.

The age distribution was 29.1% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median household income was $60,854 and the median family income was $66,985. Males had a median income of $57,425 versus $30,828 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $29,105. About 1.3% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Community

The Liberty Lake area includes the incorporated city, with a 2024 population of 13,353, and an unincorporated area with more residents. The city was incorporated on August 31, 2001, and operates with a mayor–council government. There are seven members on the city council who are elected to four-year terms.

Media

The Liberty Lake Splash, a free community-oriented weekly newspaper is distributed in the city and in the Spokane Valley; the paper has a circulation of about 6,000 copies per week.

Education

Liberty Lake's public schools are serviced by Central Valley School District 356, which has three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.

Liberty Lake has a municipal library.

Notable people

• Lexie Hull, professional basketball player selected in the 1st round of the 2022 WNBA draft.
• Tyler Johnson, Liberty Lake native and back-to-back Stanley Cup winner with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

References

References

1. "City Council". City of Liberty Lake, Washington.
2. "2025 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
3. {{GNIS. 2410834
4. "Explore Census Data". [[United States Census Bureau]].
5. Knowles, Darlene. (May 5, 1968). "Indians first settlers of valley". The Spokesman-Review.
6. Sullivan, Julie. (March 16, 1989). "Architect builds historical interest with trivia". Spokane Chronicle.
7. Rowe, Megan. (May 19, 2019). "What's in a name? Features in local parks put on a map". The Spokesman-Review.
8. "City Boundary Map". City of Liberty Lake, Washington.
9. "Liberty Lake Quadrangle". U.S. Geological Survey.
10. "Mica Peak Quadrangle". U.S. Geological Survey.
11. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau.
12. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing". United States Census Bureau.
13. "U.S. Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau.
14. "How many people live in Liberty Lake city, Washington". [[USA Today]].
15. "Liberty Lake Splash". Mondo Times.
16. "List of Official Publications". Spokane County.
17. "Schools {{!}} Liberty Lake, WA - Official Website".
18. "Liberty Lake Municipal Library needs more space, consultant's report says {{!}} The Spokesman-Review".
19. "A not so surprising success: Spokane's Lexie Hull the No. 6 pick in the WNBA draft, April 12, 2022".
20. "Locally Grown".