Is Lake Ozark, MO a Good Place to Live?
Lake Ozark is a small town of 2,628 in Missouri, with a median household income of $71,528 and a 4.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 98 (US average = 100), which is 2% below the national average.
Strengths: Lake Ozark stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Lake Ozark is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake Ozark city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 97.5Lake Ozark's overall cost of living index is 97.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lake Ozark costs roughly 2% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Lake Ozark, MO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $308,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,064 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 66.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $71,528 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLake Ozark's violent crime rate is 178.5 per 100,000 residents — 53% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Lake Ozark is served primarily by SCHOOL OF THE OSAGE. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Lake Ozark, MO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | SCHOOL OF THE OSAGE | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 42.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake Ozark sees average highs of 44.0°F in January and 89.4°F in July, with 42.6 inches of annual precipitation and 4.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake Ozark, MO |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 44.0°F |
| Average High — July | 89.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 4.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake Ozark, MO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,628 | — |
| Median Age | 45.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 6.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 20.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Lake Ozark
Lake Ozark, MO is covered by 1 ZIP code: