Cape Girardeau County, Missouri Income Statistics
Cape Girardeau 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
Cape Girardeau County Below averageWealthier than 78% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Cape Girardeau County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $67,617 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $49,850 | $54,686 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.2% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 8.9% | 10.5% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 6.8% | 8.7% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Cape Girardeau County is about 4% lower than in Missouri. Income has been growing slower in Cape Girardeau County (4.2%/yr) than in Missouri (4.6%/yr).
About 9% of adults in Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau County, Missouri grew by 56.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $67,617 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.2% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Cape Girardeau County
| Metric | Cape Girardeau County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.541 | 0.532 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $61,157 | $64,288 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $45,286 | $51,060 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 26.0% | 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 Cape Girardeau County, it is 0.541, higher than Missouri's 0.532, so income is less 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 35% more than women's income in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. Over a 35-year career, a 35% wage gap accumulates to roughly $555,485 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri has narrowed from about 27% to 26% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 19% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $5,120 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Cape Girardeau County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 2.3% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 9.0% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 16 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 1,005 people are unemployed in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.
The average commute time in Cape Girardeau County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 20 minutes in Missouri.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri has fallen from 6.6% to 2.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 7.3% in 2013.
Cape Girardeau County, MO Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Cape Girardeau County, MO is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 82,735 residents against a local median of 16,997. Cape Girardeau County, MO's unemployment, at 2.3%, runs 41% below the 3.9% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 4.2%/yr against a local median of 5.5%/yr, 23% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Cape Girardeau County, MO is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 3.6% on unemployment, so Cape Girardeau County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cape Girardeau County, MO has the 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 82,735 | $67,617 #1/6 | 4.2%/yr #4/6 | 2.3% #1/6 | 0.541 #4/6 |
| Bollinger County, MO | 10,559 | $62,593 | 6.0%/yr | 3.5% | 0.517 |
| Scott County, MO | 37,932 | $61,714 | 5.5%/yr | 2.9% | 0.519 |
| Perry County, MO | 18,976 | $63,583 | 2.3%/yr | 4.9% | 0.515 |
| Alexander County, IL | 4,873 | $48,250 | 6.7%/yr | 6.5% | 0.550 |
| Union County, IL | 16,997 | $55,637 | 2.6%/yr | 3.9% | 0.554 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.
How Rich Is Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
Cape Girardeau 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 $67,617, about 4% lower than the Missouri average of $70,801.
How fast is household income rising in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri rose 56%, from $43,299 to $67,617. Over the same years, income here outpaced Missouri as a whole: +56% against +54%.
What was the median household income in Cape Girardeau County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri was $68,407, up 6% from $64,292 in 2022. The Missouri median that year was $69,047.
What was the median household income in Cape Girardeau County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri was $54,448. By 2024 it had risen 24% to $67,617.
How strong is the job market in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri is only 2.3%, well below the Missouri rate of 4.0%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
The Gini coefficient in Cape Girardeau County is 0.541. 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 Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri has narrowed from about 27% to 26% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 19% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $5,120 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 →