Cooper County, Missouri Income Statistics
Cooper 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
Cooper County Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Cooper County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $70,419 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $47,321 | $54,686 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.8% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.3% | 10.5% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.2% | 8.7% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Cooper County is about 1% lower than in Missouri. Income has been growing faster in Cooper County (5.8%/yr) than in Missouri (4.6%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Cooper 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 Cooper County, Missouri grew by 71.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $70,419 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.8% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Cooper County
| Metric | Cooper County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.528 | 0.532 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $57,930 | $64,288 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $46,869 | $51,060 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 19.1% | 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 Cooper County, it is 0.528, about the same as Missouri's 0.532, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 24% more than women's income in Cooper County, Missouri. Over a 35-year career, a 24% wage gap accumulates to roughly $387,135 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cooper County, Missouri has narrowed from about 22% to 19% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 23% in 2023, and was narrowest at 14% in 2018. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,352 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Cooper County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 6.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 22 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 339 people are unemployed in Cooper County, Missouri.
The average commute time in Cooper County is 22 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Missouri.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Cooper County, Missouri has fallen from 9.0% to 4.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate fell as low as 4.2% in 2019.
Cooper County, MO Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Cooper County, MO is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 16,823 residents against a local median of 21,717. Where Cooper County, MO breaks from the counties next to it is unemployment, sitting 35% above the local median of 3.2% at 4.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 5.8%/yr against a local median of 4.7%/yr, 25% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Cooper County, MO is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 1.3% on unemployment, so Cooper County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cooper 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper County, MO | 16,823 | $70,419 #1/6 | 5.8%/yr #2/6 | 4.3% #6/6 | 0.528 #3/6 |
| Moniteau County, MO | 15,262 | $65,547 | 3.8%/yr | 2.5% | 0.525 |
| Howard County, MO | 10,147 | $64,914 | 4.5%/yr | 3.7% | 0.554 |
| Morgan County, MO | 21,717 | $53,120 | 6.3%/yr | 2.9% | 0.559 |
| Pettis County, MO | 43,397 | $60,475 | 5.2%/yr | 3.8% | 0.534 |
| Saline County, MO | 23,231 | $58,602 | 4.7%/yr | 3.2% | 0.524 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cooper County, Missouri has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it about on par with Missouri, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Cooper County, Missouri.
How Rich Is Cooper County, Missouri?
Cooper 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 $70,419, about 1% lower than the Missouri average of $70,801.
How has median household income changed in Cooper County, Missouri?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Cooper County, Missouri rose 72%, from $40,996 to $70,419. Over the same years, income here outpaced Missouri as a whole: +72% against +54%.
What was the median household income in Cooper County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Cooper County, Missouri was $67,462, up 7% from $63,235 in 2022. The Missouri median that year was $69,047.
What was the median household income in Cooper County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Cooper County, Missouri was $53,337. By 2024 it had risen 32% to $70,419.
What is the Gini coefficient in Cooper County, Missouri?
The Gini coefficient in Cooper County is 0.528. 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 Cooper County, Missouri?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cooper County, Missouri has narrowed from about 22% to 19% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 23% in 2023, and was narrowest at 14% in 2018. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,352 since 2009.
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