United States › Missouri › Cape Girardeau CITY
Cape Girardeau Missouri · 40,977 residents (2025 est.) · 29.3 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Cape Girardeau is home to 40,344 people in Missouri. This skews young, with a median age of 34.5. 54% of homes are owner-occupied. Getting to work takes 16 minutes on average. The typical home is worth $196,300, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 4%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.5
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 35,349 in 2000
40,977 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,379 / sq mi
+9%since 2009
from 1,263 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 33.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
34K 36K 37K 39K 41K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Cape Girardeau Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $55,658
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,452 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $18,918 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 21.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 15.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.458 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 5.6%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.6%
Transportation & warehousing 1.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.4%
Education & health services 0.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$196,300
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $88,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$876
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $436 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 57.3% in 2000
46.0% rent
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.27 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.28 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 20.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 44.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.3 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 86.7%(30,650)
Hispanic / Latino 1.1%(388)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 75.2%(30,356)
Hispanic / Latino 3.7%(1,502)
from 35 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data from 29.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 81.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 9.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 80.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 63.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 72.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 13.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 32.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 12.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 76.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 89.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 76.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 95.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 45.9%(7,313)
Women 15+
Never married 41.1%(7,591)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 12.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 55.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 19.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 71.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 32.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 24.1%(514)
Gulf War (1990s) 16.6%(355)
Share of the 2,135 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Cape Girardeau Head to head
Compare Cape Girardeau to nearby cities CAPE GIRARDEAU VS
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CAPE GIRARDEAU VS
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CAPE GIRARDEAU VS
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CAPE GIRARDEAU VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Cape Girardeau, Missouri? Cape Girardeau, Missouri has about 40,344 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Cape Girardeau, Missouri? The typical household in Cape Girardeau, Missouri earns about $55,658 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Cape Girardeau, Missouri expensive? In Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the median home is worth about $196,300, and the typical rent is about $876 a month.
How educated are people in Cape Girardeau, Missouri? About 34.9% of adults age 25 and over in Cape Girardeau, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Cape Girardeau, Missouri? About 20.8% of people in Cape Girardeau, Missouri live below the federal poverty line.
Has Cape Girardeau, Missouri grown since 1990? Yes, Cape Girardeau, Missouri has grown since 1990. The population has added about 5,906 residents, a change of about 17 percent over that period.
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