Cole County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Cole County, Missouri has a population of 77,032 across 394 square miles, up 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.42 bn in 2024, 2,224 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 59 7(a) approvals worth $40.8 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Cole County
How many people live in Cole County
- Population77,032
- Households31,086
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$74,876
- Median age39.9
- Median gross rent$834 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$229,600
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher38.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over53,203
- Population under 1817,011
- Share under 1822.1 percent
- Population 65 and over13,890
- Share 65 and over18.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6446,131
- Civilian labor force39,160
- Unemployment rate2.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.2 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties16th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents745th
Cole County is the 16th largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.1 percent against 18.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cole County
Is Cole County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.46 percent
- Census 2020 base population77,273
- Births, 2024792
- Deaths, 2024768
- Natural change, 202424
- Net domestic migration, 202474
- Net international migration, 2024210
- Total net migration, 2024284
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024495
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1667th
The county has grown 0.46 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.
Cole County
Where people moving to Cole County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,138
- People arriving, from those returns3,706
- Adjusted gross income arriving$106.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,982
- Largest single originCole County Non-migrants (29,723 households)
- Largest single destination (29,723 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cole County Non-migrants | 29,723 | 59,812 | $2.39 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 617 | 1,101 | $36.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 325 | 534 | $13.0 m |
| Callaway County | 289 | 526 | $18.3 m |
| Boone County | 211 | 361 | $10.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 208 | 382 | $12.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 205 | 348 | $11.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 170 | 322 | $11.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cole 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.
Cole County
What the Cole County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$7.42 bn
- County GDP, 2023$6.93 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.1 percent
- GDP change over five years30.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Missouri counties10th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents560th
- GDP per resident$96,323
Output grew 7.1 percent in the latest year and 30.7 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.
Cole County
Who employs people in Cole County
- Covered employment, annual average54,302
- Establishments reporting2,500
- Average annual pay$55,952
- Average weekly wage$1,076
- Sector 44-45, employment6,002
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,108
- Sector 62, employment5,237
- Sector 62, average annual pay$62,614
- Sector 72, employment3,761
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,364
- Sector 23, employment2,933
- Sector 23, average annual pay$73,821
- Sector 31-33, employment2,714
- Sector 56, employment2,342
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 6,002 | 255 | $35,108 |
| Sector 62 | 5,237 | 388 | $62,614 |
| Sector 72 | 3,761 | 197 | $22,364 |
| Sector 23 | 2,933 | 267 | $73,821 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,714 | 65 | $64,774 |
| Sector 56 | 2,342 | 152 | $41,047 |
| Sector 52 | 1,886 | 173 | $74,561 |
| Sector 54 | 1,873 | 268 | $82,964 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,002 jobs, 11.1 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.
Cole County
What businesses operate in Cole County
- Establishments, all industries2,224
- Employment at those establishments37,060
- Annual payroll$1.96 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.9
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.
Cole County
What is being built in Cole County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024171
- Declared construction value permitted$51.9 m
- Single family units authorised157
- Multifamily units authorised14
- Multifamily share of units8.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$303,412
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.5
Multifamily is 8.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cole County
How much SBA lending happens in Cole County
- 7(a) approvals recorded59
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$40.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$691,368
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,920,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)718
- Jobs per approval12.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active15
- Distinct industries receiving approvals34
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter47
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals5.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHome Health Care Services (4)
- Most active lenderHawthorn Bank (18)
- 504 approvals recorded22
- 504 gross approval dollars$13.7 m
- Average 504 approval$620,682
- Median 504 approval$420,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval14.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved23.1
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (17)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals72.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$54.4 m
The average approval of $691,368 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 11.9 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.
Cole County
Do SBA loans in Cole County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded15
- Paid in full14
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.7 percent
- Status: Paid in full14
- Status: Exempt from disclosure34
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled10
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cole County
Which parts of Cole County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- JEFFERSON CITY, approvals53
- RUSSELLVILLE, approvals2
- Centertown, approvals2
- EUGENE, approvals1
- Jeferson City, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| JEFFERSON CITY | 53 | $38,410,800 |
| RUSSELLVILLE | 2 | $1,090,000 |
| Centertown | 2 | $677,400 |
| EUGENE | 1 | $580,000 |
| Jeferson City | 1 | $32,500 |
JEFFERSON CITY accounts for 53 approvals against 2 in RUSSELLVILLE. 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.
Cole County
How big is Cole County
- Land area394 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties112th of 115
- Width, east to west29.8 mi
- Height, north to south27.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land196
- Establishments per square mile5.64
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 Cole 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 Cole County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population77,032
- Households31,086
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$74,876
- Median age39.9
Common questions
Cole County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cole County, Missouri?
77,032, in 31,086 households, ranking 16th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cole County growing?
The population has grown 0.46 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 792 births against 768 deaths, with net migration of 284. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cole County?
$74,876. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $229,600, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $834 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cole County?
2,224 establishments, employing 37,060 people with an annual payroll of $1.96 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 Cole County?
Average annual pay is $55,952, or $1,076 a week, across 54,302 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cole County?
59 7(a) approvals totalling $40.8 m since FY2020, across 15 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 22 504 approvals worth $13.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Cole County get paid back?
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 14 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Cole County?
171 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $51.9 m. Multifamily was 8.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cole 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 Cole County come from?
The largest single origin is Cole County Non-migrants, with 29,723 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,982 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 Cole 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 Cole 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.