Bates County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Bates County, Missouri has a population of 16,186 across 837 square miles, up 2.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $626.5 m in 2024, 344 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $4.8 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Bates County
How many people live in Bates County
- Population16,186
- Households6,158
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$60,733
- Median age41.4
- Median gross rent$786 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$170,800
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,271
- Population under 183,689
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over3,131
- Share 65 and over19.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,366
- Civilian labor force7,574
- Unemployment rate5.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.6 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties64th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2087th
Bates County is the 64th largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.8 percent against 19.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bates County
Is Bates County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.23 percent
- Census 2020 base population16,037
- Births, 2024186
- Deaths, 2024203
- Natural change, 2024-17
- Net domestic migration, 2024185
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024187
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024547
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1095th
The county has grown 2.23 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bates County
Where people moving to Bates County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving463
- People arriving, from those returns873
- Adjusted gross income arriving$21.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$45,950
- Largest single originBates County Non-migrants (5,774 households)
- Largest single destination (5,774 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bates County Non-migrants | 5,774 | 12,292 | $357.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 132 | 279 | $6.5 m |
| Cass County | 120 | 225 | $5.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 108 | 190 | $4.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 61 | 136 | $3.0 m |
| Jackson County | 48 | 81 | $2.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 39 | 76 | $2.0 m |
| Vernon County | 35 | 70 | $1.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bates County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bates County
What the Bates County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$626.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$617.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.5 percent
- GDP change over five years22.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Missouri counties63rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2237th
- GDP per resident$38,704
Output grew 1.5 percent in the latest year and 22.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Bates County
Who employs people in Bates County
- Covered employment, annual average3,673
- Establishments reporting466
- Average annual pay$42,876
- Average weekly wage$825
- Sector 44-45, employment579
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,616
- Sector 62, employment504
- Sector 62, average annual pay$36,118
- Sector 72, employment316
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,344
- Sector 23, employment224
- Sector 23, average annual pay$56,160
- Sector 31-33, employment152
- Sector 54, employment134
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 579 | 52 | $32,616 |
| Sector 62 | 504 | 90 | $36,118 |
| Sector 72 | 316 | 26 | $18,344 |
| Sector 23 | 224 | 48 | $56,160 |
| Sector 31-33 | 152 | 16 | $36,829 |
| Sector 54 | 134 | 23 | $56,269 |
| Sector 42 | 90 | 11 | $56,756 |
| Sector 48-49 | 90 | 22 | $55,548 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 579 jobs, 15.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bates County
What businesses operate in Bates County
- Establishments, all industries344
- Employment at those establishments2,738
- Annual payroll$113.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bates County
What is being built in Bates County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$1.6 m
- Single family units authorised9
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$173,333
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.5
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bates County
How much SBA lending happens in Bates County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$345,793
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$16,500
- 90th percentile approval$825,000
- Largest single approval$2,150,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)57
- Jobs per approval4.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term107 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter13
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals7.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPacking and Crating (2)
- Most active lenderSunflower Bank National Association (2)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.0 m
- Average 504 approval$347,000
- Median 504 approval$366,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved6.7
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals82.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$5.9 m
The average approval of $345,793 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 0.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bates County
Do SBA loans in Bates County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bates County
Which parts of Bates County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Butler, approvals9
- Adrian, approvals5
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Butler | 9 | $4,180,400 |
| Adrian | 5 | $660,700 |
Butler accounts for 9 approvals against 5 in Adrian. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bates County
How big is Bates County
- Land area837 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties6th of 115
- Width, east to west30.6 mi
- Height, north to south30.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land19
- Establishments per square mile0.41
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Bates County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Bates County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population16,186
- Households6,158
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$60,733
- Median age41.4
Common questions
Bates County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bates County, Missouri?
16,186, in 6,158 households, ranking 64th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bates County growing?
The population has grown 2.23 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 186 births against 203 deaths, with net migration of 187. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bates County?
$60,733. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $170,800, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $786 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Bates County?
344 establishments, employing 2,738 people with an annual payroll of $113.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Bates County?
Average annual pay is $42,876, or $825 a week, across 3,673 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bates County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $4.8 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $1.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Bates County?
9 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bates County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Bates County come from?
The largest single origin is Bates County Non-migrants, with 5,774 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,950 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bates County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Bates County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.