Carter County, Missouri Income Statistics
Carter 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.
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D
Carter County Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Carter County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $50,000 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $42,979 | $54,686 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.5% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 7.4% | 10.5% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 0.6% | 8.7% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Carter County is about 29% lower than in Missouri. Income has been growing slower in Carter County (3.5%/yr) than in Missouri (4.6%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Carter 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 Carter County, Missouri grew by 104.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $50,000 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.5% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Carter County
| Metric | Carter County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.516 | 0.532 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $51,817 | $64,288 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $33,103 | $51,060 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 36.1% | 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 Carter County, it is 0.516, 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 57% more than women's income in Carter County, Missouri. Over a 35-year career, a 57% wage gap accumulates to roughly $654,990 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Carter County, Missouri has widened from about -3% to 36% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 37% in 2021. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $19,611 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Carter County widened by 39.3 points while Missouri's narrowed by 4.5 points.
Employment
| Metric | Carter County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 3.8% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 11.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 22 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 90 people are unemployed in Carter County, Missouri.
The average commute time in Carter County is 22 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Missouri.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Carter County, Missouri has fallen from 8.7% to 3.8% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 12.8% in 2012 and fell as low as 1.1% in 2022.
Carter County, MO Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Carter County, MO is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 5,297 residents against a local median of 8,673. The measure that sets Carter County, MO apart most is unemployment: 3.8%, 27% below the local median of 5.2%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 3.5%/yr against a local median of 4.2%/yr, 17% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Carter County, MO is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 9.6% on unemployment, so Carter County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Carter County, MO has the 3rd 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County, MO | 5,297 | $50,000 #2/6 | 3.5%/yr #4/6 | 3.8% #3/6 | 0.516 #1/6 |
| Ripley County, MO | 10,707 | $41,973 | 2.7%/yr | 3.7% | 0.536 |
| Reynolds County, MO | 6,010 | $45,026 | 2.4%/yr | 10.9% | 0.518 |
| Shannon County, MO | 7,177 | $56,188 | 7.2%/yr | 1.3% | 0.558 |
| Oregon County, MO | 8,673 | $42,467 | 4.4%/yr | 5.2% | 0.523 |
| Wayne County, MO | 10,862 | $47,247 | 4.2%/yr | 7.3% | 0.526 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Carter County, Missouri has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Missouri, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Carter County, Missouri.
How Rich Is Carter County, Missouri?
Carter County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $50,000, about 29% lower than the Missouri average of $70,801.
How fast is household income rising in Carter County, Missouri?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Carter County, Missouri rose 105%, from $24,404 to $50,000. Over the same years, income here outpaced Missouri as a whole: +105% against +54%.
What was the median household income in Carter County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Carter County, Missouri was $45,069, down 2% from $45,982 in 2022. The Missouri median that year was $69,047.
What was the median household income in Carter County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Carter County, Missouri was $43,894. By 2024 it had risen 14% to $50,000.
What is the Gini coefficient in Carter County, Missouri?
The Gini coefficient in Carter County is 0.516. 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 Carter County, Missouri?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Carter County, Missouri has widened from about -3% to 36% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 37% in 2021. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $19,611 since 2009.
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