The Town FilesThayer, Missouri
City in Oregon County · population 1,883 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $67,500
- Household income
- $37,417
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 90°
- Snow a year
- 6 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 16
- Median age
- 40.6
Thayer is a city of 1,883 people in Oregon County, Missouri. The median home is worth $67,500, below the typical Missouri town ($153,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 93% of Missouri towns, better for retirees than 92% of Missouri towns, better for first-time buyers than 82% of Missouri towns.
How Thayer 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 Thayer is worth $67,500, below the typical Missouri town ($153,900). Homes cost about 1.8 times the median household income of $37,417, which is more affordable than 88% of Missouri towns. Median rent is $627 a month. 68.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Thayer | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $67,500 | $153,900 |
| Median rent | $627 | $855 |
| Median household income | $37,417 | $56,368 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.8× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 68.1% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1972 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Thayer
| People | Thayer | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.6 | 38.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.9% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 30.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.0% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 34.3% | 14.6% |
| Veterans | 9.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.5% | — |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 7.9% |
| Average commute | 17.5 min | 23.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 78.7% | 88.7% |
Weather in Thayer
July highs average 90.3°F and January lows 22.8°F. About 48.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 5.6 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 49 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 102 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Thayer since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on December 24, 1982 about 1.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 14, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 36 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on March 1, 2007.
Severe weather in Oregon County since 1996
Oregon County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4867: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires |
| May 21, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4872: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| January 1, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4855: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| July 23, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4803: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| July 9, 2020 | Severe Storm | DR-4552: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Oregon County
Oregon County had 2,535 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $36,248 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Thayer itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.
Public schools in Thayer
2 public schools with 769 students, about 11.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| THAYER ELEM. | PK-6 | 424 | 11.5 |
| THAYER SR. HIGH | 7-12 | 345 | 12.3 |
Towns near Thayer
- Mammoth Spring, AR2.1 mi · 929 people · home $103,000
- Alton, MO14.3 mi · 707 people · home $114,200
- Hardy, AR14.4 mi · 743 people · home $58,600
- Cherokee Village, AR16.0 mi · 4,780 people · home $94,600
- Highland, AR17.5 mi · 982 people · home $104,400
- Ozark Acres, AR17.6 mi · 692 people · home $73,700
- Salem, AR18.8 mi · 1,566 people · home $105,900
- Ash Flat, AR20.1 mi · 1,137 people · home $94,000
Thayer questions
Is Thayer, Missouri a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Thayer scores better for retirees than 92% of Missouri towns and quieter than 69%. 19.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.6).
How much does a house cost in Thayer?
The median owner-occupied home in Thayer is valued at $67,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $37,417, so homes cost about 1.8 times income. Median rent is $627 a month.
What is the weather like in Thayer?
July highs average 90.3°F and January lows 22.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.8 inches of precipitation a year and 5.6 inches of snow.
Does Thayer get tornadoes?
16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Thayer since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on December 24, 1982. 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)