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.

Official town website ↗

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

How Lamar ranks

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#40Most affordable in MO #48Lowest property tax in MO #55Most conserved land in MO All MO rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code64759

Area code417

Living in Lamar

Safety in Lamar

Safety Grade C

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

Violent crime per 1,000

Lamar 0.7

Missouri 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Lamar 9.3

Missouri 16.9

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Lamar

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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.

Joplin

Springfield

Nevada

Carthage

30%Work in townlive and work in Lamar 24 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 2,008Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Lamar →

Health in Lamar

D⁻

Health Grade D−

Healthier than 4% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 29% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Missouri

19worse than MO

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 13 are too close to call.

Conditions 7▼ 5 close Habits 2▼ 2 close Care 3▼ 4 close Mind 3▼ 2 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

29.2%More older adults who have lost all their teethMO 15.8% · worse 13.2%More adults with COPDMO 8% · worse 20.5%More adults facing food insecurityMO 13.7% · worse

Care nearby

Cox Barton County HospitalLamar · 1.4 mi · ER · rural critical access

Access Family Care - LamarLamar · 0.1 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Lamar · CMS · HRSAHealth in Lamar →

Natural hazards in Lamar

High

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

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes💨 Strong wind

15Does Lamar flood?paid flood claims since 1981 7Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Lamar

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Lamar →

Climate in Lamar

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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.

46° / 27°Winter

68° / 46°Spring

88° / 67°Summer

69° / 47°Fall