HomeMissouriCape Girardeau County
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri has a population of 82,735 across 579 square miles, up 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $5.36 bn in 2024, 2,334 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 49 7(a) approvals worth $17.1 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Cape Girardeau County
How many people live in Cape Girardeau County
- Population82,735
- Households32,454
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$68,464
- Median age37.1
- Median gross rent$881 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$220,700
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over53,914
- Population under 1817,657
- Share under 1821.3 percent
- Population 65 and over14,766
- Share 65 and over17.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6450,312
- Civilian labor force43,387
- Unemployment rate2.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.7 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties15th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents710th
Cape Girardeau County is the 15th largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.3 percent against 17.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cape Girardeau County
Is Cape Girardeau County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.38 percent
- Census 2020 base population81,710
- Births, 2024934
- Deaths, 2024828
- Natural change, 2024106
- Net domestic migration, 2024212
- Net international migration, 2024232
- Total net migration, 2024444
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,275
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1042nd
The county has grown 2.38 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cape Girardeau County
Where people moving to Cape Girardeau County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,956
- People arriving, from those returns3,451
- Adjusted gross income arriving$121.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$62,070
- Largest single originCape Girardeau County Non-migrants (29,057 households)
- Largest single destination (29,057 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau County Non-migrants | 29,057 | 59,195 | $2.53 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 760 | 1,332 | $66.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 320 | 559 | $35.4 m |
| Scott County | 303 | 563 | $12.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 271 | 458 | $17.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 200 | 360 | $10.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 131 | 247 | $9.9 m |
| Bollinger County | 109 | 198 | $4.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cape Girardeau 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.
Cape Girardeau County
What the Cape Girardeau County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$5.36 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.24 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.2 percent
- GDP change over five years28.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Missouri counties14th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents684th
- GDP per resident$64,776
Output grew 2.2 percent in the latest year and 28.2 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.
Cape Girardeau County
Who employs people in Cape Girardeau County
- Covered employment, annual average41,463
- Establishments reporting2,822
- Average annual pay$51,752
- Average weekly wage$995
- Sector 62, employment10,297
- Sector 62, average annual pay$58,712
- Sector 44-45, employment5,784
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,271
- Sector 72, employment4,324
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,564
- Sector 31-33, employment3,793
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$72,512
- Sector 23, employment1,831
- Sector 42, employment1,640
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 10,297 | 797 | $58,712 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,784 | 354 | $35,271 |
| Sector 72 | 4,324 | 207 | $21,564 |
| Sector 31-33 | 3,793 | 90 | $72,512 |
| Sector 23 | 1,831 | 193 | $64,381 |
| Sector 42 | 1,640 | 114 | $55,539 |
| Sector 56 | 1,309 | 117 | $45,879 |
| Sector 54 | 1,303 | 197 | $65,996 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 10,297 jobs, 24.8 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.
Cape Girardeau County
What businesses operate in Cape Girardeau County
- Establishments, all industries2,334
- Employment at those establishments39,319
- Annual payroll$1.87 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.2
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.
Cape Girardeau County
What is being built in Cape Girardeau County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202480
- Declared construction value permitted$26.3 m
- Single family units authorised76
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units5.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$328,984
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.5
Multifamily is 5.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cape Girardeau County
How much SBA lending happens in Cape Girardeau County
- 7(a) approvals recorded49
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$17.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$348,647
- Median 7(a) approval$238,500
- 10th percentile approval$29,800
- 90th percentile approval$750,000
- Largest single approval$2,021,200
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)613
- Jobs per approval12.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active19
- Distinct industries receiving approvals33
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter40
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals8.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSports and Recreation Instruction (5)
- Most active lenderThe Bank of Missouri (16)
- 504 approvals recorded23
- 504 gross approval dollars$10.6 m
- Average 504 approval$461,826
- Median 504 approval$325,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.2
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (20)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals68.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$27.7 m
The average approval of $348,647 sits well above the median of $238,500, 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 12.2 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.
Cape Girardeau County
Do SBA loans in Cape Girardeau County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure35
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 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.
Cape Girardeau County
Which parts of Cape Girardeau County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- CAPE GIRARDEAU, approvals30
- Jackson, approvals19
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CAPE GIRARDEAU | 30 | $10,165,600 |
| Jackson | 19 | $6,918,100 |
CAPE GIRARDEAU accounts for 30 approvals against 19 in Jackson. 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.
Cape Girardeau County
How big is Cape Girardeau County
- Land area579 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties59th of 115
- Width, east to west24.5 mi
- Height, north to south32.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land143
- Establishments per square mile4.03
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 Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population82,735
- Households32,454
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$68,464
- Median age37.1
Common questions
Cape Girardeau County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
82,735, in 32,454 households, ranking 15th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cape Girardeau County growing?
The population has grown 2.38 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 934 births against 828 deaths, with net migration of 444. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cape Girardeau County?
$68,464. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $220,700, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $881 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cape Girardeau County?
2,334 establishments, employing 39,319 people with an annual payroll of $1.87 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Cape Girardeau County?
Average annual pay is $51,752, or $995 a week, across 41,463 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cape Girardeau County?
49 7(a) approvals totalling $17.1 m since FY2020, across 19 lenders, with a median approval of $238,500, plus 23 504 approvals worth $10.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Cape Girardeau County?
80 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $26.3 m. Multifamily was 5.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau County come from?
The largest single origin is Cape Girardeau County Non-migrants, with 29,057 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,070 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 Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau 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.