Lawrence County Demographics

A map of Lawrence County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	33,261	32,401	86.2%	85.3%
Hispanic	3,263	2,987	8.5%	7.9%
Multiracial	1,333	1,844	3.5%	4.9%
Native American/Other	442	464	1.1%	1.2%
Asian	187	171	0.5%	0.4%
Black	107	134	0.3%	0.4%

Lawrence County, Missouri has an estimated population of 38,593, a slight increase from the 38,001 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 86.2% White, 8.5% Hispanic, 3.5% Multiracial, 1.1% Native American/Other, 0.5% Asian, and 0.3% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Lawrence County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Lawrence has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Missouri overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Lawrence County, that probability was 26.4% in 2020 and 24.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Lawrence County is ranked the 30th most populous county in Missouri, out of 115 counties. Lawrence County was ranked the 31st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Lawrence County's White Population

33,261 residents of Lawrence County, or 86.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Lawrence County is higher than in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Lawrence County ranks 86th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lawrence County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.7%. White residents' share of Lawrence County's population has increased from 85.3% to 86.2%.

Lawrence County is more White than neighboring Barry County (80.2% White), Greene County (84% White), and Jasper County (80.6% White). Lawrence County is less White than neighboring Dade County (92% White), and Stone County (92.5% White).

Lawrence County's Black Population

107 residents of Lawrence County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Lawrence County is considerably lower than in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Lawrence County ranks 90th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lawrence County's Black population has declined by an estimated 20.1%. Black residents' share of Lawrence County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Lawrence County is more Black than neighboring Barry County (0.2% Black). Lawrence County is less Black than neighboring Dade County (0.4% Black), Greene County (3% Black), and Jasper County (1.7% Black).

Lawrence County's Asian Population

187 residents of Lawrence County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Lawrence County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Lawrence County ranks 44th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lawrence County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 9.4%. Asian residents' share of Lawrence County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Lawrence County is more Asian than neighboring Dade County (0.1% Asian), and Stone County (0.3% Asian). Lawrence County is less Asian than neighboring Barry County (2% Asian), Greene County (1.9% Asian), and Jasper County (1.3% Asian).

Lawrence County's Hispanic Population

3,263 residents of Lawrence County, or 8.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Lawrence County is slightly higher than in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Lawrence County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lawrence County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 9.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Lawrence County's population has increased from 7.9% to 8.5%.

Lawrence County is more Hispanic than neighboring Dade County (2.3% Hispanic), Greene County (5.1% Hispanic), and Stone County (2.9% Hispanic). Lawrence County is less Hispanic than neighboring Barry County (10.2% Hispanic), and Jasper County (9.8% Hispanic).

Lawrence County's Native American/Other Population

442 residents of Lawrence County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Lawrence County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Lawrence County ranks 11th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lawrence County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 4.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Lawrence County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Lawrence County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Dade County (0.5% Native American/Other), Greene County (0.9% Native American/Other), and Stone County (0.4% Native American/Other). Lawrence County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Jasper County (1.3% Native American/Other).

Lawrence County's Multiracial Population

1,333 residents of Lawrence County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Lawrence County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Lawrence County ranks 45th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lawrence County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 27.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Lawrence County's population has decreased from 4.9% to 3.5%.

Lawrence County is less Multiracial than neighboring Dade County (4.7% Multiracial), Barry County (6.4% Multiracial), Greene County (5% Multiracial), and Jasper County (5.4% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.