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LamarMO

A town of 4,284, settled in 1852. Nearly 4.4% of it is conserved land.

Population
4,284
−5.9% since 2010
Median home value
$117K
Census ACS
Household income
$37K
median
Median age
39.3
years
Jobs based here
2,008
Balanced

What makes Lamar stand out

The 3 things Lamar does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Lamar’s report card

See the data ↓

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The data

Ordered by what stands out in Lamar. Another town gets a different order.

Outdoors

4.4% of Lamar is conserved land

1.1 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.

4.4%conserved
4.4%
conserved · 155 of 3,519 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
#55
most conserved land in MO
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Lamar City Park1.1 mi40
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health

Healthier than 4% of U.S. towns

Lamar beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19.

D−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better13 too close to call19 worse
What stands outLamarMO
More older adults who have lost all their teeth29.2%15.8%
More adults with COPD13.2%8%
More adults facing food insecurity20.5%13.7%
Cox Barton County Hospital
1.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
11th
percentile among MO towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 30% of U.S. towns

Lamar reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 70% report less.

CSafety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Lamar0.7
Missouri4.3
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Lamar9.3
Missouri16.9
U.S.15.5
30th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
41st
percentile among MO towns
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
40
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate

Four seasons, hot summers

Lamar has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

7″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter27–46°
Spring46–68°
Summer67–88°
Fall47–69°
Oct 27
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+0.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute

About one in three working residents works right in Lamar

About one in 3 of Lamar’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Joplin (7%), Springfield (6%) and Nevada (4%). Half commute less than 24 miles.

30%work in town

Where working residents work

In Lamar30%
Joplin7%
Springfield6%
Nevada4%
Carthage3%
24 mi
median commute distance
2,008
jobs based in Lamar
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards

High risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities.

61risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
61High riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
15
paid flood claims since 1981
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Thomas M. Osullivan
2021 · Thomas M. Osullivan · Wikimedia Commons
Lamar’s story

174 years in pictures

4 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 1 places on the National Register.

MOMap-doton-LamarMoody Ford Bridge, Spanning North fork of Spring River at CART Road 432
Explore the history →

Famous people from Lamar

5 notable people were born in Lamar.

See all 5 →

About Lamar

City in Missouri, U.S.

Official town website ↗

Lamar is a city in and the county seat of Barton County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 4,266. It is known as the birthplace of Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States. The Lamar city government is consolidated with Barton County's City Township. Because the city governance and township governance have different roles, circa 2002 the U.S. Census Bureau counted them as separate governments for census purposes. In addition, the city of Lamar is surrounded by, but is not part of Barton County's Lamar Township.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1852
Population
4,266
Area
5.4 sq mi
Elevation
961 ft
ZIP code
64759
Area code
417

Lamar’s neighbors

2 towns share a border with Lamar.

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More about Lamar

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