Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
La Plata’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for history; its weakest is a C− for incomes. On cost of living, just 2 of Missouri’s 419 towns do better. La Plata is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 69% of U.S. towns. No town among the 243 in Missouri we compare has a lower median rent than La Plata. La Plata’s trail density is 2.2 miles per square mile, where Missouri’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. La Plata has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Lester and Norma Dent House and Gilbreath-McLorn House. La Plata has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where La Plata beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far La Plata is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 546 in 1870, 1,257 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in La Plata, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in La Plata.
The typical La Plata home is worth about $121,000, up 1.2% in a year, 54% below the Missouri typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by La Plata R-II. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Plata Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 145 | B+ |
| La Plata HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 150 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave La Plata for work: only 13% work in town. La Plata’s median household income is $50,000, below both the Missouri town median ($62,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Since 2013, La Plata has added 25 jobs, to 318 in 2023.
| La Plata | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9.1% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 13% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
La Plata beats the Missouri average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 33% of adults get no exercise outside work in La Plata.
| La Plata | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 16% |
| What stands out | La Plata | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 77.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
La Plata has chilly winters and warm summers. Only 4 of the 248 Missouri towns we compare have a lower July high than La Plata.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
La Plata’s property crime rate is 1.6 per 1,000 residents. La Plata's reported crime rate is well below Missouri's. La Plata’s violent crime rate is 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
| La Plata | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of La Plata
About 8 of every 100 La Plata residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
Where La Plata’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in La Plata on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Missouri, United States
La Plata ( lah PLAY-tə) is a city in Macon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,257 at the 2020 census, down from 1,366 in 2010. La Plata is located next to the Adair County line and is on a mainline of the BNSF Railway. The town is best known for La Plata station, which provides passenger rail service to Chicago and Los Angeles.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
