Lawrence County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lawrence County, MO Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lawrence County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,593 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 63.0 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.13% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.4 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,602 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lawrence County grew by 3.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 38,593 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lawrence County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.2% of residents. That is 1.0 points below Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,805 20.2% -1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,557 19.6% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,394 19.2% -0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,089 18.4% +0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Missouri, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.0% of the people living in Lawrence County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 50.0% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lawrence County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lawrence County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,185 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.35% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lawrence County is about 14% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Lawrence County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $100,595 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $800 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.9% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lawrence County is about 10.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $800 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lawrence County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 174 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.8 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.6 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 174 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,380 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,475 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 862 | 923 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Missouri:
Saline County (11.9 min), Adair County (12.0 min), Nodaway County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Bollinger County (33.1 min), Ray County (32.2 min), Maries County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Lawrence County is about the same as in Missouri.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Lawrence County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.60 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Louis County (0.4), Platte County (0.4), Boone County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bollinger County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Ripley County (0.2).
Health
Lawrence County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.6 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.5% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.8% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Charles County (0.8), Platte County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
Scotland County (0.7), Ripley County (0.7), Pemiscot County (0.8).
Lawrence County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
Lawrence County, MO is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 38,593 residents against a local median of 79,648. Where Lawrence County, MO breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 31% below the local median of $144,744 at $100,595.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 20.8 min against a local median of 17.9 min, 17% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 17% above the local median it puts Lawrence County, MO at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $41,034 on median home price, so Lawrence County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lawrence County, MO has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County, MO | 38,593 | $61,185 #3/5 | $100,595 #5/5 | 20.8 min #4/5 |
| Barry County, MO | 35,028 | $58,172 | $112,503 | 17.7 min |
| Greene County, MO | 303,351 | $61,985 | $152,557 | 18.1 min |
| Jasper County, MO | 124,268 | $60,630 | $153,538 | 16.7 min |
| Stone County, MO | 32,050 | $64,442 | $136,931 | 25.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lawrence County, Missouri.
What is the population of Lawrence County, Missouri?
About 38,593 people live in Lawrence County, Missouri, in 14,602 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 37.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Lawrence County, Missouri urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lawrence County, Missouri has 63 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lawrence County, Missouri?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($100,595 against $61,185), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $800 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Lawrence County, Missouri?
14.0% of adults in Lawrence County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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