Ripley County, Missouri Income Statistics
Ripley 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
Ripley County Well below averageLess wealthy than 92% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Ripley County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $41,973 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $37,635 | $54,686 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 2.7% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 3.2% | 10.5% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 1.3% | 8.7% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Ripley County is about 41% lower than in Missouri. Income has been growing slower in Ripley County (2.7%/yr) than in Missouri (4.6%/yr).
About 3% of adults in Ripley 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 Ripley County, Missouri grew by 44.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $41,973 in 2024. That's an average of about 2.7% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Ripley County
| Metric | Ripley County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.536 | 0.532 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $45,424 | $64,288 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $34,096 | $51,060 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 24.9% | 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 Ripley County, it is 0.536, 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 33% more than women's income in Ripley County, Missouri. Over a 35-year career, a 33% wage gap accumulates to roughly $396,480 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Ripley County, Missouri has narrowed from about 26% to 25% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2023, and was narrowest at 15% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,668 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Ripley County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 3.7% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 9.7% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 25 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 156 people are unemployed in Ripley County, Missouri.
The average commute time in Ripley County is 25 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Missouri.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Ripley County, Missouri has fallen from 14.0% to 3.7% in 2024. Over that period the rate fell as low as 3.6% in 2022.
Ripley County, MO Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Ripley County, MO is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 10,707 residents against a local median of 14,278. The measure that sets Ripley County, MO apart most is income growth: 2.7%/yr, 37% below the local median of 4.2%/yr. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 3.7% against a local median of 5.2%, 29% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Ripley County, MO is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 2.4%/yr on income growth, so Ripley County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ripley 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ripley County, MO | 10,707 | $41,973 #6/6 | 2.7%/yr #6/6 | 3.7% #1/6 | 0.536 #5/6 |
| Carter County, MO | 5,297 | $50,000 | 3.5%/yr | 3.8% | 0.516 |
| Randolph County, AR | 18,840 | $50,780 | 4.2%/yr | 5.3% | 0.541 |
| Butler County, MO | 42,020 | $48,932 | 3.8%/yr | 4.8% | 0.531 |
| Clay County, AR | 14,278 | $51,698 | 6.0%/yr | 6.3% | 0.488 |
| Oregon County, MO | 8,673 | $42,467 | 4.4%/yr | 5.2% | 0.523 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Ripley 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 Ripley County, Missouri.
How Rich Is Ripley County, Missouri?
Ripley 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 $41,973, about 41% lower than the Missouri average of $70,801.
How has median household income changed in Ripley County, Missouri?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Ripley County, Missouri rose 44%, from $29,110 to $41,973. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Missouri as a whole: +44% against +54%.
What was the median household income in Ripley County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Ripley County, Missouri was $43,790, up 2% from $43,026 in 2022. The Missouri median that year was $69,047.
What was the median household income in Ripley County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Ripley County, Missouri was $36,016. By 2024 it had risen 17% to $41,973.
What is the Gini coefficient in Ripley County, Missouri?
The Gini coefficient in Ripley County is 0.536. 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 Ripley County, Missouri?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Ripley County, Missouri has narrowed from about 26% to 25% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2023, and was narrowest at 15% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,668 since 2009.
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