Bates County, Missouri Income Statistics
Bates County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
-
C
Bates County Below averageWealthier than 77% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Bates County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $60,821 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $46,234 | $54,686 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.0% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.2% | 10.5% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 3.5% | 8.7% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Bates County is about 14% lower than in Missouri. Income has been growing faster in Bates County (5.0%/yr) than in Missouri (4.6%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Bates County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Missouri average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Bates County, Missouri grew by 55.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $60,821 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.0% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Bates County
| Metric | Bates County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.519 | 0.532 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $54,489 | $64,288 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $40,061 | $51,060 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 26.5% | 20.6% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Bates County, it is 0.519, lower than Missouri's 0.532, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 36% more than women's income in Bates County, Missouri. Over a 35-year career, a 36% wage gap accumulates to roughly $504,980 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Bates County, Missouri has widened from about 13% to 26% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2018. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $9,828 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Bates County widened by 13.6 points while Missouri's narrowed by 4.5 points.
Employment
| Metric | Bates County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.9% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 9.8% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 27 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 450 people are unemployed in Bates County, Missouri.
The average commute time in Bates County is 27 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Missouri.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Bates County, Missouri has fallen from 8.3% to 5.9% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 9.1% in 2013 and fell as low as 4.4% in 2018.
Bates County, MO Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Bates County, MO is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 16,186 residents against a local median of 22,328. The measure that sets Bates County, MO apart most is unemployment: 5.9%, 41% above the local median of 4.2%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 5.0%/yr against a local median of 4.0%/yr, 25% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Bates County, MO is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 0.7% of each other on unemployment, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Bates County, MO, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Bates County, MO has the 6th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates County, MO | 16,186 | $60,821 #3/6 | 5.0%/yr #1/6 | 5.9% #6/6 | 0.519 #5/6 |
| Cass County, MO | 110,772 | $88,254 | 4.0%/yr | 4.1% | 0.500 |
| Vernon County, MO | 19,687 | $52,977 | 3.4%/yr | 4.2% | 0.531 |
| Linn County, KS | 9,767 | $59,107 | 3.4%/yr | 4.4% | 0.510 |
| Henry County, MO | 22,328 | $57,861 | 4.0%/yr | 4.4% | 0.501 |
| Miami County, KS | 34,938 | $89,392 | 4.4%/yr | 3.7% | 0.514 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Bates County, Missouri has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it about on par with Missouri, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Bates County, Missouri.
How Rich Is Bates County, Missouri?
Bates County has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $60,821, about 14% lower than the Missouri average of $70,801.
How fast is household income rising in Bates County, Missouri?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Bates County, Missouri rose 55%, from $39,172 to $60,821. Over the same years, income here outpaced Missouri as a whole: +55% against +54%.
What was the median household income in Bates County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Bates County, Missouri was $56,850, up 7% from $53,005 in 2022. The Missouri median that year was $69,047.
What was the median household income in Bates County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Bates County, Missouri was $46,500. By 2024 it had risen 31% to $60,821.
Is unemployment high in Bates County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Bates County, Missouri is 5.9%, well above the Missouri rate of 4.0%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Bates County, Missouri?
The Gini coefficient in Bates County is 0.519. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Bates County, Missouri?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Bates County, Missouri has widened from about 13% to 26% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2018. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $9,828 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →