Ray County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Ray County, Missouri has a population of 23,145 across 569 square miles, up 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $651.3 m in 2024, 360 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $9.1 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Ray County
How many people live in Ray County
- Population23,145
- Households9,116
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$74,573
- Median age41.9
- Median gross rent$782 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$198,800
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over16,182
- Population under 185,271
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over4,468
- Share 65 and over19.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,406
- Civilian labor force11,229
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.8 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties49th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1726th
Ray County is the 49th 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 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.
Ray County
Is Ray County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.16 percent
- Census 2020 base population23,161
- Births, 2024242
- Deaths, 2024339
- Natural change, 2024-97
- Net domestic migration, 2024121
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 2024120
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024432
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1768th
The county has grown 0.16 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.
Ray County
Where people moving to Ray County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving740
- People arriving, from those returns1,418
- Adjusted gross income arriving$43.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$58,997
- Largest single originRay County Non-migrants (8,446 households)
- Largest single destination (8,446 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray County Non-migrants | 8,446 | 17,754 | $570.2 m |
| Clay County | 260 | 514 | $14.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 141 | 268 | $9.5 m |
| Jackson County | 106 | 195 | $5.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 93 | 174 | $4.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 57 | 106 | $4.2 m |
| Lafayette County | 50 | 96 | $3.3 m |
| Platte County | 45 | 89 | $3.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Ray 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.
Ray County
What the Ray County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$651.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$634.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.7 percent
- GDP change over five years30.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Missouri counties61st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2212th
- GDP per resident$28,142
Output grew 2.7 percent in the latest year and 30.2 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.
Ray County
Who employs people in Ray County
- Covered employment, annual average4,007
- Establishments reporting460
- Average annual pay$47,361
- Average weekly wage$911
- Sector 44-45, employment592
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,236
- Sector 31-33, employment462
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$75,061
- Sector 72, employment364
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,351
- Sector 81, employment186
- Sector 81, average annual pay$39,973
- Sector 23, employment170
- Sector 52, employment114
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 592 | 46 | $30,236 |
| Sector 31-33 | 462 | 17 | $75,061 |
| Sector 72 | 364 | 26 | $18,351 |
| Sector 81 | 186 | 35 | $39,973 |
| Sector 23 | 170 | 48 | $55,305 |
| Sector 52 | 114 | 28 | $80,904 |
| Sector 48-49 | 113 | 16 | $46,200 |
| Sector 54 | 94 | 29 | $57,063 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 592 jobs, 14.8 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.
Ray County
What businesses operate in Ray County
- Establishments, all industries360
- Employment at those establishments2,816
- Annual payroll$113.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.6
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.
Ray County
What is being built in Ray County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202470
- Declared construction value permitted$18.3 m
- Single family units authorised66
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units5.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$261,098
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.7
Multifamily is 5.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ray County
How much SBA lending happens in Ray County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$647,064
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$28,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,891,000
- Largest single approval$2,304,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)83
- Jobs per approval5.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term167 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer46.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOther Building Material Dealers (2)
- Most active lenderOakStar Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.4 m
- Average 504 approval$361,500
- Median 504 approval$178,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval4.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.8
- Most active CDCClay/Platte Development Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals77.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$10.5 m
The average approval of $647,064 sits well above the median of $350,000, 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. 46.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Ray County
Do SBA loans in Ray County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
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.
Ray County
Which parts of Ray County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- RICHMOND, approvals9
- LAWSON, approvals4
- HENRIETTA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| RICHMOND | 9 | $7,738,000 |
| LAWSON | 4 | $1,113,900 |
| HENRIETTA | 1 | $207,000 |
RICHMOND accounts for 9 approvals against 4 in LAWSON. 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.
Ray County
How big is Ray County
- Land area569 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties60th of 115
- Width, east to west24.3 mi
- Height, north to south26.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land41
- Establishments per square mile0.63
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 Ray 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 Ray County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population23,145
- Households9,116
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$74,573
- Median age41.9
Common questions
Ray County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ray County, Missouri?
23,145, in 9,116 households, ranking 49th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ray County growing?
The population has grown 0.16 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 242 births against 339 deaths, with net migration of 120. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ray County?
$74,573. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $198,800, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $782 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Ray County?
360 establishments, employing 2,816 people with an annual payroll of $113.1 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 Ray County?
Average annual pay is $47,361, or $911 a week, across 4,007 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ray County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $9.1 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $1.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Ray County?
70 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $18.3 m. Multifamily was 5.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ray 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 Ray County come from?
The largest single origin is Ray County Non-migrants, with 8,446 households. Arriving households report an average income of $58,997 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 Ray 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 Ray 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.