West Liberty, Iowa

As of the census[8] of 2010, there were 3,736 people, 1,251 households, and 890 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,147.1 inhabitants per square mile (829.0/km²). There were 1,316 housing units at an average density of 756.3 per square mile (292.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.2% White, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 23.3% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.2% of the population. West Liberty was the first town in the state of Iowa to achieve a Hispanic-majority population.[9]

There were 1,251 households, of which 43.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.48.

The median age in the city was 32.8 years. 29.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 21.5% were from 45 to 64; and 12% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 3,332 people, 1,150 households, and 801 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,136.4 inhabitants per square mile (824.9/km²). There were 1,195 housing units at an average density of 766.2 per square mile (295.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.20% White, 0.30% African American, 0.42% Native American, 3.54% Asian, 25.00% from other races, and 3.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40.49% of the population.

There were 1,150 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.46.

29.8% are under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,925, and the median income for a family was $41,667. Males had a median income of $29,963 versus $24,306 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,420. About 4.6% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

West Liberty's Downtown Commercial Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places in Muscatine County, Iowa. A Downtown Task Force meets regularly to discuss the issues and needs for the downtown area. This task force works in partnership with We Lead to envision revitalization projects and implement them when possible. Recent projects include the adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code for aging downtown buildings and the establishment of a revolving loan fund for structural improvements and scholarships for facades. We Lead has begun to implement The Art-Full Community Project as a prototype for a business incubator; businesses in West Liberty display artwork, artists sell their work and donate part of the proceeds to a community economic development fund. Part of this community fund also benefits the downtown area.

West Liberty is home to the Muscatine County Fairgrounds that hosts the Muscatine County Fair, its biggest annual event, every year in July.[19] The fair features grandstand entertainment, a carnival, a talent show, a fair queen contest, pet shows, and judging of exhibits of livestock, arts and crafts, cooking, flowers and plants, photography, and antiques.[20] More than half of the fairground buildings are original, an exceptionally large number compared to other fairgrounds.[21]

As a prelude to the fair every year, West Liberty holds the Fair Parade followed by Picnic in the Park, on the Sunday immediately preceding the fair. The Fair Parade features floats made by the community in keeping with that year's theme. The parade winds through town and is immediately followed by the Picnic in the Park. The Picnic in the Park is held in Kimberly Park and features a free swim, food sold by local vendors, and entertainment.[22]

Another annual summertime event is Summer Music in the Park. This summer concert series is organized by West Liberty Area Arts Council (WLAAC) and is free to the public. Every Friday evening for about a month in the summer a concert is given by local groups in Ron-de-Voo Park. Music styles vary from blues to classic rock to Latin American folk music.[23]

The West Liberty Children's Festival is held every year in September. A daylong event held downtown on Third Street, it is sponsored and organized by Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre[15] with lots of volunteer help. It includes puppet shows, crafts, activities, strolling performers, performances from the local dance studios, food from local vendors, and more. The performances and puppet shows are given by both local and out of state performers. In recent years it has coordinated with the Latino Festival, which includes several hours of live Latino music as well as Mexican food and craft vendors. The 10 AM to 10 PM event is known as Fiesta West Liberty [24]

From April through August the West Liberty Raceway hosts races nearly every Saturday night.[25] According to their website, the raceway is a "1/2 mile, slightly banked, dirt track".[26] The IMCA Sport Compact, iWireless IMCA Late Models, and Performance Concepts are hosted at the raceway.

The historical Rock Island Railroad Depot, built in 1897, now serves as a museum. It contains displays of artifacts pertaining to the history of West Liberty and the history of the railway.[27] Heritage Park, or the Depot Campus as it is commonly known, serves as a museum of sorts. The area immediately surrounding the depot has become the final resting place for many local pieces of history. There is a restored Rock Island Lines Caboose,[28] a local barn known as the Heritage Barn along with antique farm equipment,[29] a tourist cabin that used to form part of the North Point complex, which in addition to the nine cabins also consisted of a diner and a service station,[30] a one-room schoolhouse also known as the Swamp School,[31] and the newest addition, a steam locomotive.[32]

The West Liberty Public Library building was constructed in 1904 with the help of a $7500 grant from Andrew Carnegie. Before that, the library can be traced back to its beginning as a temperance library. After the Reading Room was closed, seven women continued circulating the books until they left the handling of the library to the Peoples Library Association 5 years later. The association opened a reading room and later, in the year 1900, the community voted to approve the establishment of a public library. The West Liberty Public Library building is listed as a State Historical Building and has been renovated and expanded various times over the years[33] with the latest repairs and renovations occurring in 2012–2013.[34] The library holds a host of activities throughout the year including summer reading programs, screenings of educational movies, toddler story times, a morning coffee book club, and much more.[35]

"The West Liberty Elementary, Middle School, and High School are all International Spanish Academies (ISAs)".[39] which offer students the opportunity to earn one of the Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera awarded by the Instituto Cervantes. International Spanish Academies are recognized by the Ministry of Education and the Government of Spain. The WLCSD Dual language Program allows students to take all of their classes in both Spanish and English, increasing their bilingual skills and their understanding of another culture through language immersion. Students enter the program in pre-kindergarten and parents make a commitment on behalf of their child and themselves to participate in the program through fifth grade.

The WLCSD Dual Language Program was the first of its kind in the State of Iowa. It began in the fall of 1997 when the district received a five-year $1.7 million federal grant from the United States Department of Education. After a year of planning and model analysis, the program was implemented in the fall of 1998 at the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten grade levels. From 1999 through 2002, the district added grade levels as the first class advanced through each grade.[40] In the spring of 2011, the first graduating class of Seniors marked the final establishment of the dual language program in all K-12 grade levels.