The Town FilesIron Mountain Lake, Missouri
City in St. Francois County · population 640 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $38,600
- Household income
- $30,682
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 89°
- Snow a year
- 10 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 20
- Median age
- 49.2
Iron Mountain Lake is a city of 640 people in St. Francois County, Missouri. The median home is worth $38,600, below the typical Missouri town ($153,900). It ranks easier by car than 71% of Missouri towns.
How Iron Mountain Lake ranks
Percentile among Missouri towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Missouri towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Iron Mountain Lake is worth $38,600, below the typical Missouri town ($153,900). Homes cost about 1.3 times the median household income of $30,682, which is more affordable than 98% of Missouri towns. Median rent is $695 a month. 83.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Iron Mountain Lake | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $38,600 | $153,900 |
| Median rent | $695 | $855 |
| Median household income | $30,682 | $56,368 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.3× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 83.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1966 | 1972 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 7.2% | — |
Who lives in Iron Mountain Lake
| People | Iron Mountain Lake | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.2 | 38.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.5% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 19.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 3.1% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 24.7% | 14.6% |
| Veterans | 6.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.3% | — |
| Work from home | 1.1% | 7.9% |
| Average commute | 33.4 min | 23.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.3% | 88.7% |
Weather in Iron Mountain Lake
July highs average 88.5°F and January lows 22.6°F. About 45.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 9.6 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 32 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 104 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Iron Mountain Lake since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 22, 1969 about 4.8 miles from the town center and killed 4. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 4 deaths and 20 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 19, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 38 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on March 11, 2006.
Severe weather in St. Francois County since 1996
St. Francois County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4924: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4490: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3482: Covid-19 |
| January 21, 2016 | Flood | DR-4250: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| January 2, 2016 | Flood | EM-3374: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in St. Francois County
St. Francois County had 23,026 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $43,743 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Iron Mountain Lake itself the ACS puts it at 1.1%.
Towns near Iron Mountain Lake
- Pilot Knob, MO4.9 mi · 671 people · home $108,000
- Bismarck, MO5.3 mi · 1,239 people · home $107,800
- Ironton, MO6.6 mi · 1,475 people · home $120,000
- Arcadia, MO7.3 mi · 618 people · home $154,800
- Doe Run, MO7.7 mi · 737 people · home $129,900
- Park Hills, MO11.0 mi · 8,587 people · home $131,300
- Leadwood, MO11.9 mi · 1,178 people · home $63,200
- Farmington, MO12.4 mi · 18,217 people · home $196,500
Iron Mountain Lake questions
Is Iron Mountain Lake, Missouri a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Iron Mountain Lake scores better for retirees than 11% of Missouri towns and quieter than 69%. 12.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.2).
How much does a house cost in Iron Mountain Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Iron Mountain Lake is valued at $38,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $30,682, so homes cost about 1.3 times income. Median rent is $695 a month.
What is the weather like in Iron Mountain Lake?
July highs average 88.5°F and January lows 22.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.2 inches of precipitation a year and 9.6 inches of snow.
Does Iron Mountain Lake get tornadoes?
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Iron Mountain Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 22, 1969. The typical Missouri town has had 23.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)