Vernon County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Vernon County, Missouri has a population of 19,687 across 826 square miles, up 0.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.14 bn in 2024, 436 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 22 7(a) approvals worth $8.2 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Vernon County
How many people live in Vernon County
- Population19,687
- Households7,754
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$52,230
- Median age41.9
- Median gross rent$734 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$158,800
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,386
- Population under 184,694
- Share under 1823.8 percent
- Population 65 and over4,048
- Share 65 and over20.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,945
- Civilian labor force8,856
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.1 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties56th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1904th
Vernon County is the 56th largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.8 percent against 20.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Vernon County
Is Vernon County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.38 percent
- Census 2020 base population19,712
- Births, 2024223
- Deaths, 2024307
- Natural change, 2024-84
- Net domestic migration, 202429
- Net international migration, 202472
- Total net migration, 2024101
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024298
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1686th
The county has grown 0.38 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.
Vernon County
Where people moving to Vernon County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving479
- People arriving, from those returns966
- Adjusted gross income arriving$23.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,797
- Largest single originVernon County Non-migrants (6,987 households)
- Largest single destination (6,987 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon County Non-migrants | 6,987 | 14,730 | $359.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 189 | 380 | $12.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 103 | 209 | $4.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 81 | 158 | $6.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 58 | 115 | $2.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 50 | 107 | $2.9 m |
| Cedar County | 49 | 109 | $1.8 m |
| Bates County | 40 | 81 | $1.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Vernon 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.
Vernon County
What the Vernon County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.14 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.13 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.6 percent
- GDP change over five years37.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Missouri counties45th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1740th
- GDP per resident$57,804
Output grew 0.6 percent in the latest year and 37.1 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.
Vernon County
Who employs people in Vernon County
- Covered employment, annual average6,582
- Establishments reporting724
- Average annual pay$46,600
- Average weekly wage$896
- Sector 31-33, employment937
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$75,652
- Sector 44-45, employment806
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,869
- Sector 48-49, employment268
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$56,337
- Sector 23, employment226
- Sector 23, average annual pay$57,456
- Sector 81, employment157
- Sector 52, employment149
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 937 | 22 | $75,652 |
| Sector 44-45 | 806 | 62 | $28,869 |
| Sector 48-49 | 268 | 24 | $56,337 |
| Sector 23 | 226 | 52 | $57,456 |
| Sector 81 | 157 | 28 | $26,133 |
| Sector 52 | 149 | 29 | $63,748 |
| Sector 54 | 102 | 32 | $55,402 |
| Sector 51 | 48 | 6 | $34,961 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 937 jobs, 14.2 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.
Vernon County
What businesses operate in Vernon County
- Establishments, all industries436
- Employment at those establishments5,612
- Annual payroll$239.7 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.
Vernon County
What is being built in Vernon County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202457
- Declared construction value permitted$9.1 m
- Single family units authorised13
- Multifamily units authorised44
- Multifamily share of units77.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$160,194
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.4
Multifamily is 77.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Vernon County
How much SBA lending happens in Vernon County
- 7(a) approvals recorded22
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$373,923
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$51,800
- 90th percentile approval$877,500
- Largest single approval$2,286,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)120
- Jobs per approval5.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals16
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter18
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSupport Activities for Animal Production (3)
- Most active lenderCommunity National Bank & Trust (5)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$803,000
- Average 504 approval$401,500
- Median 504 approval$572,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval10.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved24.9
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals91.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$9.0 m
The average approval of $373,923 sits well above the median of $200,000, 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 9.1 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.
Vernon County
Do SBA loans in Vernon County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure15
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 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.
Vernon County
Which parts of Vernon County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Nevada, approvals17
- SHELDON, approvals4
- El Dorado Springs, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 17 | $6,327,700 |
| SHELDON | 4 | $1,816,000 |
| El Dorado Springs | 1 | $82,600 |
Nevada accounts for 17 approvals against 4 in SHELDON. 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.
Vernon County
How big is Vernon County
- Land area826 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties9th of 115
- Width, east to west30.6 mi
- Height, north to south29 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land24
- Establishments per square mile0.53
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 Vernon 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 Vernon County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population19,687
- Households7,754
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$52,230
- Median age41.9
Common questions
Vernon County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Vernon County, Missouri?
19,687, in 7,754 households, ranking 56th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Vernon County growing?
The population has grown 0.38 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 223 births against 307 deaths, with net migration of 101. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Vernon County?
$52,230. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $158,800, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $734 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Vernon County?
436 establishments, employing 5,612 people with an annual payroll of $239.7 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 Vernon County?
Average annual pay is $46,600, or $896 a week, across 6,582 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Vernon County?
22 7(a) approvals totalling $8.2 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $803,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Vernon County?
57 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.1 m. Multifamily was 77.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Vernon 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 Vernon County come from?
The largest single origin is Vernon County Non-migrants, with 6,987 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,797 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 Vernon 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 Vernon 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.