Perry County, Missouri Income Statistics
Perry 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
Perry County Below averageWealthier than 82% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Perry County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $63,583 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $47,305 | $54,686 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 2.3% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 7.3% | 10.5% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 6.3% | 8.7% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Perry County is about 10% lower than in Missouri. Income has been growing slower in Perry County (2.3%/yr) than in Missouri (4.6%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Perry 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 Perry County, Missouri grew by 38.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $63,583 in 2024. That's an average of about 2.3% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Perry County
| Metric | Perry County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.515 | 0.532 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $56,819 | $64,288 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $43,548 | $51,060 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 23.4% | 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 Perry County, it is 0.515, 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 30% more than women's income in Perry County, Missouri. Over a 35-year career, a 30% wage gap accumulates to roughly $464,485 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Perry County, Missouri has narrowed from about 34% to 23% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 22% in 2012. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $390 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Perry County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.9% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.6% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 15 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 467 people are unemployed in Perry County, Missouri.
The average commute time in Perry County is 15 minutes, shorter than the 20 minutes in Missouri.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Perry County, Missouri has risen from 4.7% to 4.9% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 5.2% in 2012 and fell as low as 3.7% in 2018.
Perry County, MO Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Perry County, MO is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 18,976 residents against a local median of 30,051. Where Perry County, MO breaks from the counties next to it is income growth, sitting 50% below the local median of 4.6%/yr at 2.3%/yr. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 4.9% against a local median of 4.2%, 16% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Perry County, MO reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves sit within 1.8%/yr of each other on income growth, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Perry County, MO, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Perry County, MO has the 6th highest income growth 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, MO | 18,976 | $63,583 #4/6 | 2.3%/yr #6/6 | 4.9% #4/6 | 0.515 #2/6 |
| Randolph County, IL | 30,051 | $69,106 | 4.6%/yr | 5.0% | 0.555 |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 82,735 | $67,617 | 4.2%/yr | 2.3% | 0.541 |
| Ste. Genevieve County, MO | 18,571 | $68,236 | 4.2%/yr | 4.2% | 0.514 |
| Bollinger County, MO | 10,559 | $62,593 | 6.0%/yr | 3.5% | 0.517 |
| Jackson County, IL | 53,061 | $48,884 | 4.7%/yr | 7.5% | 0.588 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Perry 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 Perry County, Missouri.
How Rich Is Perry County, Missouri?
Perry 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 $63,583, about 10% lower than the Missouri average of $70,801.
How has median household income changed in Perry County, Missouri?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Perry County, Missouri rose 39%, from $45,837 to $63,583. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Missouri as a whole: +39% against +54%.
What was the median household income in Perry County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Perry County, Missouri was $64,505, up 5% from $61,389 in 2022. The Missouri median that year was $69,047.
What was the median household income in Perry County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Perry County, Missouri was $57,229. By 2024 it had risen 11% to $63,583.
What is the Gini coefficient in Perry County, Missouri?
The Gini coefficient in Perry County is 0.515. 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 Perry County, Missouri?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Perry County, Missouri has narrowed from about 34% to 23% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 22% in 2012. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $390 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 →