Lamar & Barton County Missouri ~ Economic Development
LOCATION. LOCATION. LOCATION
Lamar/Barton County Missouri is located in the logistically primed crossroads of America; with access to North/South Interstate 49, East/West US Highway 160, less than 30 minutes from Interstate 44, and rail access served by KCS (Kansas City Southern Lines), MNA (Missouri Northern Arkansas Rail), and BSNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) Class 1 railroads, we are open and ready for business.
Barton County offers owners and investors alike a strategic location to build their business, a highly skilled workforce, an unmatched quality of life and incredible education options.
LAMAR AND BARTON COUNTY
MISSOURI HAS ACCESS TO
Interstate 49
Runs North/South On West Side Of Lamar
US Highway 160
Runs East & West Through Lamar
Interstate 44
31 Miles South
DISTANCE FROM LAMAR
- To Kansas City Mo - 120 Miles
- To St. Louis Mo - 300 Miles
- To Memphis TN - 350 Miles
- To Dallas TX - 400 Miles
- To Minneapolis, MN - 550 Miles
- To Denver CO - 700 Miles
- To New Orleans - 750 Miles
Lamar & Barton County Intersects 3 Railways
- Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF)
- Kansas City Southern Lines (KCS)
- Missouri & Northern Arkansas (MNA)
Barton County is a Certified Work Ready Communities (CWRC). Barton County joined the first 100 counties in
the U.S. to attain CWCR, which includes neighboring counties in the Joplin economic region as
well as the Interstate 49 corridor.
Population
Barton County (2020)
Lamar Missouri (2020)
Lamar and Barton County’s backbone is agriculture but we are no strangers to industry. With large and small industries here for over 60 years we have a steady and dedicated workforce that makes our small town and low cost of living (85.6) perfect place for your business. We can offers owners and investors alike a strategic location to build or expand their business.
Our workforce in the region is also a very mobile one as nearly 62,000 people said that they would commute 30 minutes/miles to their job. You will find that the region is comprised of hard working and loyal workers. The average number of years that people have worked at their current job is 7.1 years
Southwest Missouri Regional Demographics Includes:
- Barton, MO
- Jasper, MO
- Newton, MO
- Cherokee, KS
- Crawford, KS
- Labette, KS
- Ottawa, OK
Regional Workforce
Total Available Workforce
In WIB Region
Underemployed In
WIB Region
132,165
43,031
Preferred Distance/Travel Time
Less Than 10 Miles
30 Miles
50 Miles
50+ Miles
Area Employers
Redneck Blinds
Sporting Goods Manufacture
Finley Engineering
Telecommunications, Electrical & Municipal Engineering
Smith Seed Services
Agricultural Manufacturing - Seed Coating
Cox Barton County Hospital
General Medical & Surgical Hospital
Lamar Bank & Trust Company
Banking & Financial
Heritage Tractor
Farm Implement Sales & Services
Walmart
Retail
Higgins
Pallets
Pallet Manufacture
Washburn
Farm & Home
Agricultural Supplier
City Of
Lamar
City Government
Barton County Commission
County Government
Lamar R-1
School District
K-12 & Vocational Educational
Barton County Primary & Secondary Education
Lamar R-1 (K-12)
- Graduation rate of 90%
- Average of 1250 students
- Student/teacher ratio of 11:1
Liberal R-2 – K-12
- Graduation rate of 89%
- Average of 400 students
- Student/teacher ratio of 11:1
Golden City R-3 – K-12
- Graduation rate of 93%
- Average of 200 students
- Student/teacher ratio of 9:1
Lamar R-1 Career & Technical Center - Vocational Trades
- Woodworking/Carpentry
- Auto Mechanics
- Business/Marketing/Graphic Design
- Computer Applications
- Health Occupation
- Agricultural
- Machine Tool
- Welding
- Drafting
Colleges, Universities and Trade-Schools
Pittsburg State University (PSU)
Pittsburg KS - 30 Miles West
Missouri Southern State University (MSSU)
Joplin MO - 37 Miles - South
Crowder College
Neosho MO - 53 Miles South &
Nevada MO - 30 Miles North
Missouri Welding Institute
Nevada MO - 30 Miles - North
City Utilities
The City of Lamar has invested in renewable energy for over 10 years. Working with Republic Services Landfill just 3 miles north of the City limits, which is the second largest landfill in Missouri. Lamar generates almost 7mW power to fulfill over half of the town's needs through methane gas and provides some of the lowest utility rates in the Midwest.
Lamar Water & Electric Rate Schedule Feb '20
| Commercial Service | |||
| Electrical Service Availability Fee | $20.00 | ||
| 1-50 KWH | $.327 per KWH | $16.35 | $36.35 (Minimum) |
| 51-100 KWH | $.191 per KWH | $9.55 | $45.90 (100 KWH) |
| 101-1000 KWH | $.114 per KWH | $102.60 | $148.50 (1000 KWH) |
| 1001-400,000 KWH | $.088 per KWH | $35,112.00 | $35,260.50 (400,000 KWH) |
| 400,001 – Over | $.055 per KWH | ||
| Industrial Service | |||
| Electrical Service Availability Fee | $40.00 | ||
| 1-50 KWH | $.327 per KWH | $16.35 | $56.35 (Minimum) |
| 51-100 KWH | $.191 per KWH | $9.55 | $65.90 (100 KWH) |
| 101-1000 KWH | $.114 per KWH | $102.60 | $168.50 (1000 KWH) |
| 1001-100,000 KWH | $.075 per KWH | $7,425.00 | $7,593.50 (100,000 KWH) |
| 100,001 – 200,000 KWH | $.070 per KWH | $7,000.00 | 14,593.50 (200,000 KWH) |
| 200,001 – 300,000 KWH | $.065 per KWH | $6,500.00 | 21,093.50 (300,000 KWH) |
| 300,001 – 400,000 KWH | $.060 per KWH | $6,000.00 | 27,093.50 (400,000 KWH) |
| 400,001 – 1,000,000 KWH | $.055 per KWH | $33,000.00 | $60,093.50 (1,000,000 KWH) |
| 1,000,001 – Over | $.055 per KWH | ||
| Water | ||
| First 1,000 Gallons | $10.00 | (Minimum) |
| Next 1,000 Gallons | $7.52 | $17.52 (2,000 GALS) |
| Next 2,000 Gallons | $6.83 | $31.18 (4,000 GALS) |
| Next 3,000 Gallons | $6.39 | $50.35 (7,000 GALS) |
| Next 3,000 Gallons | $5.81 | $67.78 (10,000 GALS) |
| Next 5,000 Gallons | $5.36 | 94.58 (15,000 GALS) |
| Next 485,000 Gallons | $5.19 | |
| Over 500,000 Gallons | $4.85 | |
| Sewer Rate |
| 120% of the Amount of the Water Bill |