Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,898, settled in 1884. Public schools that outperform most of Missouri.
Thayer’s best subject grades are an A for schools and an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Thayer, above both Missouri’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 3 of Missouri’s 419 towns score lower on incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. Church of the Holy Trinity is on the National Register of Historic Places. Thayer has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Thayer beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Thayer Elem. | PK–6 | 421 |
| Thayer SR. High | 7–12 | 359 |
2,243 counted in 2010 and 1,883 in 2020; an estimated 1,898 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Thayer is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,143 in 1890, 1,883 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2023 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thayer, 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 Thayer.
19% of Thayer adults report frequent physical distress, where Missouri’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 14%. 23% of adults smoke cigarettes in Thayer. Thayer beats the Missouri average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16.
| Thayer | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 22% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Thayer | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.5% | 16.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.8% | 77.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 14% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Thayer R-II. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Thayer SR. High, with 359 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thayer Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 421 | A |
| Thayer SR. HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 359 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
The median rent in Thayer is $627 a month. The typical Thayer home is worth about $140,000, up 1% in a year, 47% below the Missouri typical home.
| Thayer | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $627 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities. Since 2011, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Thayer.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Thayer’s violent crime rate is 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Thayer | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.4 per 1,000 residents | 12.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Only 4 of the 248 Missouri towns we compare have a higher July high than Thayer. Thayer has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 5 of Thayer’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Thayer has lost 262 jobs, to 1,031 in 2023. The top destinations are West Plains (18%), Springfield (5%) and Alton (3%).
| Thayer | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $37,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 13% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Thayer; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Thayer residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
City in Oregon County, Missouri, United States
Thayer is a city on the Warm Fork Spring River in Oregon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,883 at the 2020 census. Its original name was Augusta.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Thayer.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Public schools that outperform most of Missouri.
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−.
2 notable people were born here, including Jonny Fair and Mike Dethrow.