Lafayette County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Lafayette County, Missouri has a population of 33,115 across 628 square miles, up 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.16 bn in 2024, 732 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 29 7(a) approvals worth $8.5 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lafayette County
How many people live in Lafayette County
- Population33,115
- Households12,576
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$80,612
- Median age40.9
- Median gross rent$928 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$216,500
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over23,207
- Population under 187,607
- Share under 1823.0 percent
- Population 65 and over6,393
- Share 65 and over19.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6419,115
- Civilian labor force16,710
- Unemployment rate3.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.5 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties35th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1391st
Lafayette County is the 35th largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.0 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.
Lafayette County
Is Lafayette County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.62 percent
- Census 2020 base population32,977
- Births, 2024382
- Deaths, 2024423
- Natural change, 2024-41
- Net domestic migration, 2024248
- Net international migration, 202461
- Total net migration, 2024309
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024686
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1294th
The county has grown 1.62 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.
Lafayette County
Where people moving to Lafayette County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving950
- People arriving, from those returns1,868
- Adjusted gross income arriving$51.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$54,485
- Largest single originLafayette County Non-migrants (12,015 households)
- Largest single destination (12,015 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County Non-migrants | 12,015 | 25,155 | $808.8 m |
| Jackson County | 394 | 811 | $25.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 177 | 318 | $7.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 163 | 314 | $7.6 m |
| Johnson County | 60 | 105 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 55 | 103 | $2.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 54 | 102 | $2.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 54 | 109 | $2.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lafayette 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.
Lafayette County
What the Lafayette County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.16 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.13 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.6 percent
- GDP change over five years25.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Missouri counties43rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1721st
- GDP per resident$34,957
Output grew 2.6 percent in the latest year and 25.7 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.
Lafayette County
Who employs people in Lafayette County
- Covered employment, annual average8,809
- Establishments reporting942
- Average annual pay$44,138
- Average weekly wage$849
- Sector 31-33, employment1,196
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$50,359
- Sector 44-45, employment1,008
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,849
- Sector 72, employment723
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,565
- Sector 23, employment602
- Sector 23, average annual pay$53,943
- Sector 48-49, employment310
- Sector 54, employment290
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,196 | 41 | $50,359 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,008 | 109 | $31,849 |
| Sector 72 | 723 | 69 | $18,565 |
| Sector 23 | 602 | 105 | $53,943 |
| Sector 48-49 | 310 | 35 | $53,457 |
| Sector 54 | 290 | 58 | $72,854 |
| Sector 52 | 249 | 52 | $68,766 |
| Sector 81 | 211 | 50 | $39,754 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,196 jobs, 13.6 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.
Lafayette County
What businesses operate in Lafayette County
- Establishments, all industries732
- Employment at those establishments6,755
- Annual payroll$294.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.1
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.
Lafayette County
What is being built in Lafayette County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024121
- Declared construction value permitted$33.5 m
- Single family units authorised91
- Multifamily units authorised30
- Multifamily share of units24.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$276,697
- Units authorised per 1,000 households9.6
Multifamily is 24.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lafayette County
How much SBA lending happens in Lafayette County
- 7(a) approvals recorded29
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$294,321
- Median 7(a) approval$145,000
- 10th percentile approval$18,500
- 90th percentile approval$1,359,000
- Largest single approval$1,375,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)137
- Jobs per approval4.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals20
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer24.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter22
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals10.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countNursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Stores (3)
- Most active lenderThe Central Trust Bank (10)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$513,000
- Average 504 approval$513,000
- Median 504 approval$513,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval6.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.7
- Most active CDCHeartland Business Capital, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals96.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$9.0 m
The average approval of $294,321 sits well above the median of $145,000, 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 24.1 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.
Lafayette County
Do SBA loans in Lafayette County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded10
- Paid in full10
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Paid in full10
- Status: Exempt from disclosure14
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 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.
Lafayette County
Which parts of Lafayette County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- ODESSA, approvals8
- CONCORDIA, approvals7
- HIGGINSVILLE, approvals7
- LEXINGTON, approvals3
- BATES CITY, approvals3
- NAPOLEON, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ODESSA | 8 | $1,330,300 |
| CONCORDIA | 7 | $1,067,500 |
| HIGGINSVILLE | 7 | $3,603,000 |
| LEXINGTON | 3 | $1,889,000 |
| BATES CITY | 3 | $495,500 |
| NAPOLEON | 1 | $150,000 |
ODESSA accounts for 8 approvals against 7 in CONCORDIA. 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.
Lafayette County
How big is Lafayette County
- Land area628 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties47th of 115
- Width, east to west34.2 mi
- Height, north to south26.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land53
- Establishments per square mile1.17
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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population33,115
- Households12,576
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$80,612
- Median age40.9
Common questions
Lafayette County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lafayette County, Missouri?
33,115, in 12,576 households, ranking 35th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lafayette County growing?
The population has grown 1.62 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 382 births against 423 deaths, with net migration of 309. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lafayette County?
$80,612. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $216,500, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $928 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lafayette County?
732 establishments, employing 6,755 people with an annual payroll of $294.7 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 Lafayette County?
Average annual pay is $44,138, or $849 a week, across 8,809 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lafayette County?
29 7(a) approvals totalling $8.5 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $145,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $513,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lafayette County get paid back?
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Lafayette County?
121 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $33.5 m. Multifamily was 24.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lafayette 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 Lafayette County come from?
The largest single origin is Lafayette County Non-migrants, with 12,015 households. Arriving households report an average income of $54,485 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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette 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.