Jasper County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places
Carthage’s story
184 years in pictures
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1842Carthage is settled
CarthageMO
A town of 15,574, settled in 1842. A regional job hub with 8,604 jobs.
Photo: Maureen Didde from Kansas City, MO, USA · CC BY 2.0
Population
15,574
+8% since 2010
Typical home
$239K
+2% in a year
Household income
$51K
median
Median age
32.2
years
Jobs based here
8,604
A job hub
What makes Carthage stand out
The 3 things Carthage does most differently from other towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 6,818 people come to Carthage for work
Where Carthage’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
8,604jobs based in Carthage
32%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Carthage’s report card
Commute11 miHalf of commuters travel lessSchoolsBBeats 62% of MO districtsHealthD−Healthier than 5% of U.S. townsHousing$239K11% below the MO typical homeOutdoors2 miof trails · 3.1% conservedClimate90°/25°Summer high · winter low · 8″ snowHazards41/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damageSafetyB−Less crime than 49% of U.S. towns
Now in Carthage
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Carthage is #256 of 256 in MO for “Fewest uninsured”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Carthage’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →72°
Mostly Cloudy
H 73° · L 55°
Local news
All →- Schreiber to add 100 jobs as part of $267 million expansion in CarthageNewstalk KZRG · Sep 24
- Vision Carthage Partners with Habitat for Humanity to improve homes - seven across CarthageNewstalk KZRG · Sep 24
- Carthage Softball cruises to comfortable win over CassvilleYahoo Sports · Sep 14
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Carthage. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Carthage
About one in 3 of Carthage’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Joplin (21%), Springfield (5%) and Webb City (3%). Half commute less than 11 miles.
32%work in town
Where working residents work
In Carthage32%
Joplin21%
Springfield5%
Webb City3%
Neosho2%
11 mi
median commute distance
8,604
jobs based in Carthage
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Schools
Carthage’s public schools outperform 62% of Missouri districts
The public schools Carthage’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 62% of Missouri’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
BSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carthage Intermediate Center | 4–5 | 664 | C |
| Fairview Elem. | K–3 | 444 | C− |
| Columbian Elem. | K–3 | 398 | D |
| Steadley Elem. | K–3 | 346 | B |
| Mark Twain Elem. | K–3 | 164 | B |
| St. Anns School Private | PK–6 | 67 |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduationAll 11 schools →
Health
Healthier than 5% of U.S. towns
Carthage beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
D−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better14 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Carthage | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 18.5% | 8.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 32.5% | 15.8% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 24.4% | 13.7% |
Mercy Hospital Carthage
3.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
13th
percentile among MO towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Housing
A typical Carthage home is worth about $239K
The typical Carthage home is worth about $239,000, up 2% in a year, 11% below the Missouri typical home.
$239KZillow home value
Typical home value
Carthage$239K
Missouri$268K
Market temperature
53
days on market
+2%
value change, 1 year
16
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
3.1% of Carthage is conserved land
2.1 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves.
3.1%conserved
3.1%
conserved · 240 of 7,709 acres
2.1 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
#76
most conserved land in MO
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Central Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
| 2. Carthage Municipal Park | — | 220 |
| 3. Kellogg Lake Park | — | 57 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers
Carthage has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
8″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–47°
Spring46–68°
Summer67–88°
Fall47–70°
Oct 27
typical first frost
Apr 4
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 41% of U.S. communities.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
21
paid flood claims since 1981
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 49% of U.S. towns
Carthage reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 51% report less.
B−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Carthage1
Missouri4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Carthage14.4
Missouri16.9
U.S.15.5
49th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
58th
percentile among MO towns
15
violent crimes reported in 2025
226
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Landmarks
7 places in Carthage on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Carthage
32 notable people were born in Carthage.
About Carthage
City in Missouri, U.S.
Carthage is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 15,522 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Jasper County and is nicknamed "America's Maple Leaf City."
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1842
- Population
- 15,522
- Area
- 12 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,004 ft
- ZIP code
- 64836
- Area code
- 417
More about Carthage
Still missing for Carthage:archive photosupcoming events