The Town FilesFort Leonard Wood, Missouri
Community in Pulaski County · population 15,959 (2020 Census)
- Household income
- $67,772
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 10 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 20.5
Fort Leonard Wood is a community of 15,959 people in Pulaski County, Missouri. It ranks more of a college town than 99% of Missouri towns, better for young professionals than 96% of Missouri towns, better transit than 82% of Missouri towns.
How Fort Leonard Wood 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
Median rent is $1,250 a month. 0.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fort Leonard Wood | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $153,900 |
| Median rent | $1,250 | $855 |
| Median household income | $67,772 | $56,368 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 0.0% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1996 | 1972 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 10.4% | — |
Who lives in Fort Leonard Wood
| People | Fort Leonard Wood | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 20.5 | 38.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 0.3% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 16.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.5% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 14.6% |
| Veterans | 14.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 7.8% | — |
| Work from home | 35.6% | 7.9% |
| Average commute | 9.0 min | 23.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.9% | 88.7% |
Weather in Fort Leonard Wood
July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 21.5°F. About 46.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 10.2 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 35 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 111 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Leonard Wood since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on December 31, 2010 about 1.1 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 72 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 16, 2025.
Severe weather in Pulaski County since 1996
Pulaski County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4855: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4490: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3482: Covid-19 |
| July 9, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4451: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| June 2, 2017 | Flood | DR-4317: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Pulaski County
Pulaski County had 13,323 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,536 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Fort Leonard Wood itself the ACS puts it at 5.1%.
Public schools in Fort Leonard Wood
4 public schools with 1,150 students, about 14.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| PARTRIDGE ELEM. | K-5 | 374 | 15.6 |
| WOOD ELEM. | K-5 | 289 | 12.6 |
| WILLIAMS EARLY CHILDHOOD CTR | PK-PK | 270 | 16.9 |
| THAYER ELEM. | K-5 | 217 | 12.1 |
Towns near Fort Leonard Wood
- St. Robert, MO5.0 mi · 5,192 people · home $225,300
- Waynesville, MO6.6 mi · 5,406 people · home $200,000
- Licking, MO22.9 mi · 2,851 people · home $116,900
- Rolla, MO23.9 mi · 19,943 people · home $187,000
- Lebanon, MO29.6 mi · 15,013 people · home $158,800
Fort Leonard Wood questions
Is Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fort Leonard Wood scores better for retirees than 4% of Missouri towns and quieter than 4%. 0.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 20.5).
What is the weather like in Fort Leonard Wood?
July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 21.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.8 inches of precipitation a year and 10.2 inches of snow.
Does Fort Leonard Wood get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Leonard Wood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on December 31, 2010. 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)