COUNTY
Cape Girardeau County
Missouri · 83,999 residents (2025 est.) · 579 sq mi
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The short version
Cape Girardeau County is home to 82,735 people in Missouri. The foreign-born share is 2%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $220,700. Median rent is $881 a month. 14,042 more people live here than in 2000. The average commute runs 19 minutes.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 32%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
82,735
+20%since 2000
from 68,693 in 2000
83,999 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
579 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202483K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.5%(4,577)
5 to 95.5%(4,533)
10 to 146.6%(5,425)
15 to 197.6%(6,268)
20 to 249.7%(8,018)
25 to 3412.7%(10,544)
35 to 4411.8%(9,790)
45 to 5411%(9,100)
55 to 6411.7%(9,714)
65 to 7410.3%(8,539)
75 to 845.6%(4,636)
85 and over1.9%(1,591)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$68,464
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,458 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
45.1%
+21.3 ptssince 2009
from 23.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.9%
Retail trade9.4%
Other services6.7%
Public administration5.1%
Finance & insurance4.5%
Wholesale trade4.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.9%
Transportation & warehousing2.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
Construction1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
Education & health services0.6%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$220,700
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $91,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.2
+8%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
52
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic91.6%(62,926)
Black5.3%(3,607)
Hispanic / Latino0.9%(624)
Asian0.7%(511)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic83.6%(69,142)
Black7.4%(6,109)
Hispanic / Latino2.9%(2,439)
Asian1.6%(1,361)
Other4.5%(3,684)
37
+57%since 2009
from 23 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
33
−9%since 2020
from 36 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican1.8%(1,519)
South American0.3%(274)
Puerto Rican0.3%(238)
Paraguayan0.2%(164)
Central American0.1%(105)
Dominican0.1%(59)
Colombian0.1%(57)
Peruvian0.1%(53)
Salvadoran0.1%(49)
Honduran0%(28)
Panamanian0%(28)
Spaniard0%(22)
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data
Cuban0%(15)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(334)
Japanese0.4%(294)
Chinese0.3%(257)
Filipino0.2%(140)
Vietnamese0.1%(122)
Sri Lankan0.1%(96)
Nepalese0.1%(43)
Bangladeshi0%(36)
Burmese0%(23)
Thai0%(9)
Indonesian0%(2)
Ancestry
German25.2%(20,834)
English10.4%(8,623)
Irish8.6%(7,086)
American7.1%(5,843)
Scottish1.7%(1,426)
French1.7%(1,390)
Dutch1.4%(1,188)
Italian1.4%(1,169)
Scotch-Irish1%(790)
Polish0.8%(689)
Welsh0.6%(529)
Subsaharan African0.6%(519)
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.5%(374)
Russian0.4%(371)
Norwegian0.4%(319)
Swiss0.4%(302)
British0.3%(222)
Israeli0.2%(144)
Czech0.2%(139)
Canadian0.2%(135)
Austrian0.1%(87)
Danish0.1%(79)
Arab0.1%(76)
Greek0.1%(75)
Brazilian0.1%(72)
Egyptian0.1%(64)
Iranian0.1%(58)
Nigerian0.1%(54)
Ukrainian0.1%(54)
French Canadian0.1%(42)
Hungarian0%(31)
Slovak0%(25)
Romanian0%(21)
Croatian0%(19)
Belgian0%(18)
Portuguese0%(17)
Bulgarian0%(15)
Armenian0%(13)
Serbian0%(13)
Macedonian0%(5)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
92.6%
+11.5 ptssince 2000
from 81.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
78.2%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 76.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
94.3%
+3.4 ptssince 2020
from 90.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.5%(11,973)
Married50.9%(16,707)
Widowed3.8%(1,241)
Divorced8.9%(2,924)
Women 15+
Never married31.3%(11,080)
Married48.7%(17,221)
Widowed8.4%(2,955)
Divorced11.6%(4,099)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
15.4%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 16.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.5%
−3.2 ptssince 2020
from 75.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
32.8%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 28.9% 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)20.3%(865)
Gulf War (1990s)18.4%(783)
Vietnam era41.8%(1,777)
Korean War4.6%(196)
World War II0.5%(20)
Share of the 4,256 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.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
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Compare Cape Girardeau County to nearby counties
CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY VS
Bollinger County
Income$63,814−7%
Home value$179,800−19%
Population10,646−87%
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CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY VS
Alexander County
Income$47,043−31%
Home value$59,800−73%
Population4,570−95%
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CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY VS
Perry County
Income$62,981−8%
Home value$188,200−15%
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CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY VS
Scott County
Income$62,782−8%
Home value$154,400−30%
Population37,975−55%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri has about 82,735 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
The typical household in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri earns about $68,464 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Cape Girardeau County, Missouri expensive?
In Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, the median home is worth about $220,700, and the typical rent is about $881 a month.
How educated are people in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
About 33.1% of adults age 25 and over in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
About 13.9% of people in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri live below the federal poverty line.
Has Cape Girardeau County, Missouri grown since 1990?
Yes, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri has grown since 1990. The population has added about 21,102 residents, a change of about 34 percent over that period.
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19 census tracts
Census Tract 8806Census Tract 8812Census Tract 8801Census Tract 8804.01Census Tract 8805.01Census Tract 8803Census Tract 8807Census Tract 8815Census Tract 8808Census Tract 8802Census Tract 8811Census Tract 8805.02Census Tract 8813.01Census Tract 8816Census Tract 8813.02Census Tract 8810Census Tract 8804.02Census Tract 8809Census Tract 881411 ZIP codes
ZIP 63701ZIP 63755ZIP 63703ZIP 63766ZIP 63769ZIP 63785ZIP 63747ZIP 63739ZIP 63744ZIP 63745ZIP 63743Up the hierarchy
All counties in MissouriDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024