Thomas M. Osullivan, 2021
Lamar Township’s story
174 years in pictures
Census counts: 907 in 1880, 4,266 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1957 and 5 maps from 1886 on.
- 1852Lamar Township is settled
Lamar TownshipMO
Population
1,434
2025 Census estimate · +1.9% since 2020
Median home value
$206K
Census ACS
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
45.2
years
Jobs based here
347
A commuter town
Is Lamar Township a good place to live?
Lamar Township’s weakest subject grade is a D− for health. Only 13 of Missouri’s 419 towns score lower on walkability. The median household income is $57K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 10 of Missouri’s 390 towns score lower on civic life. Lamar Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Lamar Township stand out
Where Lamar Township beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Small town
1,434 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Richland TownshipNorthfork TownshipCentral TownshipNewport TownshipUnion TownshipLamar Township
How Lamar Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Lamar Township is from typical.
HealthCox Barton County Hospital 2.5 miles awayD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 4.9% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & income347 jobs based hereDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $206K, 4 years of the county’s $52K median household incomeB−Open →SchoolsBehind 52% of Missouri districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landDOpen →HistoryCOpen →Civic life0 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lamar Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lamar Township, and how to reach them.
PowerBarton County Elec CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterBarton Dade Cedar Jasp Countycons Pwsd 1No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lamar Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Missouri you can register online until 27 days before Election Day, in person until 27 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 27 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBartonBarton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code6475964759 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lamar Township.
HealthD−
Lamar Township is less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns
That puts Lamar Township above both the Missouri town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). Lamar Township beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 23% of adults smoke cigarettes in Lamar Township.
5%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Lamar Township | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better13 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Lamar Township | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.8% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.9% | 8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.7% | 6.8% |
Cox Barton County Hospital
2.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Lamar Township has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Lamar Township for work: only 3% work in town. At 20 minutes, Lamar Township’s average trip to work is where Missouri’s towns sit at 22 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The top destinations are Lamar (21%), Springfield (8%) and Joplin (6%).
3%work in town
| Lamar Township | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Lamar Township3%
Lamar21%
Springfield8%
Joplin6%
Carthage6%
25 mi
median commute distance
347
jobs based in Lamar Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 9% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Lamar Township
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Lamar Township, expect four seasons and hot summers
Lamar Township has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Lamar Township is 90°F.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–46°
Spring46–67°
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, 1991–2020
OutdoorsD
0.5% of Lamar Township is conserved land
8.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Lamar Township’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0.5%conserved
| Lamar Township | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
0.5%
conserved · 221 of 40,408 acres
8.0 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lamar City Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lamar Township
18pages on Lamar Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lamar Township; the nearest are
Cottey CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Nevada23.6 mi$27,562 tuitionPittsburg State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Pittsburg, KS25.9 mi$8,400 in-state tuitionFort Scott Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fort Scott, KS33 mi$3,390 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Lamar Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Lamar Township for work
Where Lamar Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
347jobs based in Lamar Township
3%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Lamar Township
City in Missouri, U.S.
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
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 961 ft
- ZIP code
- 64759
- Area code
- 417
Questions about Lamar Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lamar Township, MO expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.