Osborn got its start following the construction of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad through that territory. It was named for Col. William Osborn of Waterville, New York. Col. Osborn, born in Sangerfield, New York on May 9, 1809, was an Oneida National Bank and Trust Company of Central New York commissioner and farmer who, in 1845, relocated to Missouri, where he partnered with the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad Company, the firm that constructed the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad.
Education
The Osborn R-0 School District is located in Osborn. Osborn is home of the Wildcats and proudly sports the orange and green.
Geography
Osborn is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all land. Osborn is located south of U.S. Route 36.
As of the census of 2010, there were 423 people, 192 households, and 114 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 209 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 98.3% White, 0.7% Native American, 0.2% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population. There were 192 households of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couplesliving together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.6% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 44.4 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.4% were from 25 to 44; 30.7% were from 45 to 64; and 18.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.
At the 2000 census, there were 455 people, 183 households, and 129 families living in the city. The population density was 794.5 people per square mile. There were 195 housing units at an average density of 340.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 98.90% White, 0.22% African American, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population. There were 183 households of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18, 57.9% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.03. The age distribution was 28.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,344, and the median income for a family was $44,205. Males had a median income of $29,792 versus $18,214 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,230. About 4.0% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.