Camden, MO

Camden is a city located in Camden County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,898. It is the county seat of Camden County. The city is named after James Camden, an early American explorer and cartographer.

Camden has been settled since the late 18th century and was originally known as "New Market". The town was laid out in 1796 by James Glasgow and William Henry Harrison and named for James Camden, an early American explorer and cartographer. In 1821 New Market became the county seat of Camden County when it replaced Westport on the Missouri River. The town's growth was due to its location on the National Road (now U.S. Route 40), which connected St. Louis to Springfield, Illinois; as well as its proximity to Hannibal and points eastward.

The first railroad line through Camden came in 1855; this helped spur even more growth in the town because it made transportation more accessible for residents and businesses alike. Today, there are several businesses that still operate out of downtown Camden thanks to this railroad history; these businesses include a bank, a restaurant/bar/nightclub combo called "The Rail", two antique stores (one operated by descendants of one of downtown's original merchants), a printing shop (which also does graphic design work), two hair salons (one operated by descendants of another downtown merchant), a law office (owned by members of one of downtown's original families), two real estate offices (one owned by descendants of another downtown merchant) and two insurance agencies (both owned by members from other families). There are also several churches located in or near downtown: First Presbyterian Church (established in 1817), Christ United Methodist Church (established in 1865) and Saint John's Catholic Church (established in 1888).

According to data collected by NeighborhoodScout from October 2015 through September 2016*, median home values within city limits were $128,000** ($162 per square foot). This makes Camden one of the most affordable cities in Missouri – second only to Ferguson – when factoring both price per square foot as well as average monthly mortgage payments***.*

As far as schools are concerned: students living within city limits attend schools administered by either Independence School District or Parkway School District**; students residing outside city limits attend schools administered either by Independence School District or Parkway School District** but pay additional tuition fees which help support those districts' operations.* *NeighborhoodScout analysis based on data from October 2015-September 2016 ** Independence School District **Parkway School District ***Mortgage payment