Population 38,593 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lawrence County
Household size in Lawrence County
| Period | Lawrence County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.58 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.70 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.20 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Lawrence County average 2.70 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in Missouri overall, where it has 2.49 people. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.51, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Lawrence County
| Period | Lawrence County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.2 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.0 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 39.8, the median age in Lawrence County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has crept up from 39.2 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the west and oldest in the south.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Lawrence County
| Period | Lawrence County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Lawrence County (10.3%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of Missouri. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 3.9 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Lawrence County
Renters in Lawrence County
| Period | Lawrence County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.5% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.8% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.2% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.1% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Lawrence County own their homes; 26.1% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. More than four in ten owners (43.8%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southeast; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share has edged down 1.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Lawrence County
| Period | Lawrence County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Lawrence County than nationally: 11.7%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 2.4 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Lawrence County
| Period | Lawrence County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Lawrence County are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the southeast.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Lawrence County
| Period | Lawrence County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $592 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $600 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $672 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $855 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$263 | +$383 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Lawrence County costs $855 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $263 a month since 2006–10, up 44%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 31.5% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the west and lowest in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Lawrence County
Bachelor's degrees in Lawrence County
| Period | Lawrence County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.7% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.9% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Lawrence County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.9%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 3.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Lawrence County
| Period | Lawrence County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.5% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.0% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.4% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.4% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Lawrence County never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 6.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Lawrence County
| Period | Lawrence County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Lawrence County runs below the national rate: 4.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 3.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Lawrence County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 2.70 | 39.8 | 10.3% | 26.1% | 11.7% | 1980 | $855 | 16.9% | 87.4% | 4.2% |
| Greene County | 2.33 | 38.5 | 10.0% | 42.5% | 6.9% | 1983 | $1,087 | 33.0% | 93.8% | 3.4% |
| Christian County | 2.65 | 39.2 | 9.0% | 24.1% | 5.2% | 1998 | $1,093 | 33.1% | 93.9% | 3.4% |
| Newton County | 2.71 | 40.1 | 11.4% | 23.4% | 11.3% | 1984 | $811 | 22.6% | 88.8% | 5.8% |
| Jasper County | 2.52 | 37.8 | 13.9% | 37.2% | 10.2% | 1985 | $993 | 25.4% | 89.0% | 3.5% |
| Cherokee County | 2.45 | 42.7 | 9.2% | 24.5% | 13.3% | 1966 | $869 | 19.4% | 89.6% | 3.0% |
| Douglas County | 2.61 | 44.1 | 7.2% | 19.4% | 11.7% | 1987 | $871 | 14.7% | 87.1% | 5.7% |
| Wright County | 2.74 | 39.9 | 11.0% | 22.9% | 13.4% | 1980 | $634 | 15.6% | 83.5% | 4.1% |
| Montgomery County | 2.40 | 41.3 | 11.1% | 27.1% | 16.3% | 1960 | $776 | 22.1% | 90.7% | 4.2% |
| Shannon County | 2.48 | 46.0 | 9.9% | 20.1% | 16.7% | 1980 | $521 | 12.9% | 84.3% | 1.5% |
| Chautauqua County | 2.42 | 45.1 | 10.9% | 18.0% | 29.1% | 1964 | $780 | 18.2% | 90.1% | 3.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Wood County, TX · Jefferson County, IN · Jefferson County, IL · Jefferson County, ID · Wise County, VA · Jasper County, SC · Jasper County, IN · Jasper County, IA · Jackson County, OH · Jackson County, NC
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Lawrence County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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