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Lamar vs Malden

244 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (5.3× in Malden) and property tax bill (+42% in Lamar).

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Lamar, MOHomes around $191KMissouri · 4,284 people
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Malden, MOHomes around $88KMissouri · 3,805 people
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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.

LamarHomes around $191K
Housing$191K typical home29% below the MO typical home Outdoors#56 most conserved land in MO1.1 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves Health96% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Lamar →
MaldenHomes around $88K
Housing$88K typical home67% below the MO typical home Health99% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors#48 most trails in MO5.8 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves All about Malden →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Trails5.3×
Malden has more miles of trail
Malden 5.8 miLamar 1.1 mi
Property tax bill+42%
Tax bills are bigger in Lamar
Lamar $914Malden $642
Growth since 2010+7.4 pts
Lamar has grown faster since 2010
Lamar -5.9%Malden -13.3%
Work in town+12 pts
More of Lamar’s workers stay in town
Lamar 30.1%Malden 18.1%
Bachelor’s degree++8.1 pts
More adults in Lamar have a degree
Lamar 18.7%Malden 10.6%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $620 more a month in Lamar

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.

Lamar$1,120/mo
Typical home $191K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $832/mo · Housing →
Malden$510/mo
Typical home $88K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $673/mo · Housing →

The difference: $620 a month, about $7,400 a year, between Lamar and Malden.

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

Lamar places higher on 14 of 20 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.

Safety
CLamarSafer than 30% of U.S. towns –MaldenNot graded
Health
D−LamarHealthier than 4% of U.S. towns D−MaldenHealthier than under 1% of U.S. towns
14Lamar
6Malden

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #56#194 Most trailsOutdoors · 151 towns #125#48 Highest graduation rateSchools · 216 towns #96#188 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #164#249 Most educatedPeople · 261 towns #165#248 Cheapest rentCost of living · 256 towns #90#24 Most new homesHousing · 200 towns #98#146 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 261 towns #179#237

Left end = #1 in Missouri. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Lamar’s rankings →

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
LamarMalden
Snow a year7″7″
January low22°F28°F
July high88°F88°F
Growing season (days)199d227d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)61st86th
Outdoors & history
LamarMalden
Trails1 mi6 mi
Conserved land4.4%0.8%
Settled18521877
National Register places1—
Archive photos46
Famous people born here56
Community
LamarMalden
Library hours a week39 hrs48 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

244 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LamarMOMaldenMO
Lamar ↔ Malden244 miles apart
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.

LamarMalden
People
Population 4,284Highest 3,805Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.9%Highest MO: +2.8% -13.3%Lowest MO: +2.8%
Median age 39.3±3.4Highest about the MO average 38.7±2.7Lowest about the MO average
Lamar and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 24.5%±5.6Lowest MO: 22.3% 28.5%±6.1Highest MO: 22.3%
Malden and Lamar are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23%±4.8Highest MO: 17.9% 19.8%±4Lowest MO: 17.9%
Lamar and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.7%Highest MO: 32.4% 10.6%Lowest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.7%±2.5Highest MO: 5.7% 2%±1.6Lowest MO: 5.7%
Lamar and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $36,705±$10kLowest 48% below MO $40,118±$7kHighest 43% below MO
Malden and Lamar are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $117,200±$13kHighest 49% below MO $101,300±$24kLowest 56% below MO
Lamar and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $832±$58Highest 19% below MO $673±$139Lowest 35% below MO
Lamar and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $914Highest 53% below MO $642Lowest 67% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 60.7%±22.5Highest MO: 45.6% 50.1%±16.6Lowest MO: 45.6%
Lamar and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 32.6%Highest MO: 12.6% 30.1%Lowest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 51.6%Highest MO: 68.1% 51%Lowest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973Highest 5 yrs older than MO 1970Lowest 8 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 7% below MO 22 minHighest 6% below MO
Work from home 2.1%±2.8 MO: 13% 2.1%±1.7 MO: 13%
Work in townworking residents 30.1%Highest 18.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.3 miHighest 19.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.09Highest 0.87Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Joplin (7%)Dexter (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MaldenFew work in Lamar
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4.4%Highest 0.8%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.1 miLowest 5.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 4Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 55.6Highest 50.2Lowest
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.

Lamar neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lamar’s Town Square.

Malden neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Malden’s Town Square.

Add a town

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

Bordering Lamar

C
+ Compare
City Township4,284 people · $117K homes
L
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Lamar Heights111 people · $261K homes

Towns like Lamar

B
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Breckenridge Hills4,402 people · $96K homes
S
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Salem4,677 people · $115K homes
C
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Cotton Hill Township4,830 people · $92K homes
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Cabool2,348 people · $130K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Missouri towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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