West Liberty, Kentucky

2012 tornado

On March 2, 2012, West Liberty was hit by an EF3 tornado, which caused extensive damage to the downtown area.^[5][6] This tornado left a swath of damage over a mile wide. Many homes and businesses were heavily damaged or destroyed. Six people were killed and at least 75 people were injured.^[7] Preliminary assessments from emergency officials and media indicated a path length of 60 miles (97 km),^[8] though a National Weather Service survey concluded the tornado travelled 85 miles from Menifee County to Lincoln County, West Virginia.^[9] It had the longest track of any tornado in the United States in 2012.^[10]

The old courthouse, built in 1907, as well as the new courthouse which was 60% completed were at first, after the tornado, both deemed as a total loss.^[11] However, this determination was in error as both buildings have been restored and finished, respectively.^{[citation needed]}

The tornado had also hit the city of Wellington in Menifee County and was just north of the EF3 tornado that hit Salyersville around 7:00 PM Eastern time that evening.^[12] The tornadoes were the worst in the history of all three of the towns.^{[citation needed]}

Restoration after tornado

Since the 2012 tornado, much progress has been made in West Liberty. Many of the buildings destroyed in the disaster have been either rebuilt to prior state or have been replaced with much better structures. Planning in West Liberty has been continuous since the disaster.^{[citation needed]}

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, West Liberty had a population of 3,215. The median age was 37.6 years. 10.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 305.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 360.3 males age 18 and over.^[16][17]

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.^[18]

There were 624 households in West Liberty, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.2% were married-couple households, 15.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[16]

There were 682 housing units, of which 8.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%.^[16]

2000 census

As of the census^[19] of 2000, there were 3,277 people, 696 households, and 446 families residing in the city. The population density was 739.3 inhabitants per square mile (285.4/km²). There were 758 housing units at an average density of 171.0 per square mile (66.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.43% White, 18.19% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.25% of the population. (Both the large increase in population after 1990 and the current demographic diversity are the result of the opening of the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex).

There were 696 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.71.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 10.1% under the age of 18, 14.8% from 18 to 24, 44.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 264.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 297.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,429, and the median income for a family was $30,875. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $19,464 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,215. About 25.7% of families and 28.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.6% of those under age 18 and 26.4% of those age 65 or over.