Jobs, pay and daily life in Cape Girardeau, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Cape Girardeau is a city in Missouri with 40,344 residents. The median household earns $55,658 a year and the median rent is $876 a month, which is 18.9% of the median household income. It is part of the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 44,680 jobs.
How Cape Girardeau compares. Among the 80 largest places in Missouri, Cape Girardeau is #17 by population, #17 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #64 for remote work (#1 = most), #60 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Cape Girardeau County, is #16 of 115 counties for average pay ($51,752).
Cape Girardeau has 40,344 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.7% of the population of Missouri. It covers 29 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,379 people per square mile. The median age is 34.5, 12% younger than the state median (34.5 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $876 a month (rent plus utilities), 15% below the state median ($876 against $1,033). Over a year that is 18.9% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $196,300, which is 3.5 times the median household income ($55,658); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 54.0% of households own their home, 21% below the state average (54.0% against 68.1%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metropolitan area has 44,680 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $44,470 a year, 13% below the national median ($44,470 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (5,010 jobs, median $39,440); food preparation and serving related (4,500 jobs, median $29,450); healthcare practitioners and technical (4,330 jobs, median $75,440). The area is most specialised in office and administrative support (1.0 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($39,440). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Cape Girardeau County was 2.9%. 62.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Cape Girardeau County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 79.9% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 2.8% walk, 7.9% work from home. 6.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 48% below the state average (6.0% against 11.5%).
34.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 8% above the state share (34.9% against 32.4%). 3.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 13% below the state share (3.9% against 4.5%). The poverty rate is 20.8%, 66% above the state rate (20.8% against 12.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 32°F (0.2°C). About 1,214 mm (48 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Apr is the wettest month (133 mm) and Jan the driest (78 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Jackson (7 miles, similar rent); Sikeston (29 miles, similar rent); Paducah (53 miles, rent 5% lower); Farmington (58 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Cape Girardeau; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Missouri (988) →State guide: MissouriCountry guideCape Girardeau CountyMissouri rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 988 federal postings open in Missouri (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Missouri →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,540 | 1.24 | $33,940 | $28,600 | $38,010 | -5% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,470 | 1.52 | $82,640 | $62,620 | $104,830 | -15% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,460 | 1.30 | $30,250 | $28,600 | $41,910 | -15% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,450 | 1.44 | $74,790 | $39,830 | $165,630 | -29% |
| Cashiers | 1,270 | 1.43 | $29,350 | $28,600 | $35,780 | -11% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,070 | 5.79 | $28,820 | $28,600 | $33,870 | -7% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,030 | 2.58 | $47,100 | $39,080 | $61,100 | -26% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 930 | 1.14 | $35,040 | $29,410 | $46,290 | -6% |
| Office Clerks, General | 850 | 1.19 | $38,830 | $28,630 | $59,100 | -14% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 820 | 1.26 | $28,710 | $28,600 | $60,520 | -19% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 730 | 1.24 | $50,200 | $36,900 | $77,050 | -14% |
| Nursing Assistants | 680 | 1.63 | $36,650 | $30,610 | $43,460 | -13% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 600 | 0.70 | $36,430 | $29,670 | $50,820 | -9% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 600 | 1.48 | $29,070 | $28,600 | $38,270 | -21% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 580 | 0.78 | $38,190 | $29,540 | $61,660 | -15% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 520 | 0.47 | $29,810 | $28,600 | $35,360 | -4% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 510 | 0.80 | $35,130 | $29,440 | $43,090 | -5% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 500 | 1.02 | $37,480 | $29,820 | $48,960 | -21% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 490 | 1.12 | $48,830 | $33,570 | $76,440 | -2% |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 410 | 2.21 | $60,100 | $45,700 | $74,250 | -7% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 1,470 | 1.52 | $82,640 | $62,620 | $104,830 | -15% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,450 | 1.44 | $74,790 | $39,830 | $165,630 | -29% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 730 | 1.24 | $50,200 | $36,900 | $77,050 | -14% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,030 | 2.58 | $47,100 | $39,080 | $61,100 | -26% |
| Office Clerks, General | 850 | 1.19 | $38,830 | $28,630 | $59,100 | -14% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 580 | 0.78 | $38,190 | $29,540 | $61,660 | -15% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 500 | 1.02 | $37,480 | $29,820 | $48,960 | -21% |
| Nursing Assistants | 680 | 1.63 | $36,650 | $30,610 | $43,460 | -13% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 600 | 0.70 | $36,430 | $29,670 | $50,820 | -9% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 510 | 0.80 | $35,130 | $29,440 | $43,090 | -5% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 930 | 1.14 | $35,040 | $29,410 | $46,290 | -6% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,540 | 1.24 | $33,940 | $28,600 | $38,010 | -5% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,460 | 1.30 | $30,250 | $28,600 | $41,910 | -15% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 520 | 0.47 | $29,810 | $28,600 | $35,360 | -4% |
| Cashiers | 1,270 | 1.43 | $29,350 | $28,600 | $35,780 | -11% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 600 | 1.48 | $29,070 | $28,600 | $38,270 | -21% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,070 | 5.79 | $28,820 | $28,600 | $33,870 | -7% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 820 | 1.26 | $28,710 | $28,600 | $60,520 | -19% |
These figures are for the whole Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $44,470 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.0% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 31.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 15.5% |
| Retail trade | 11.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 7.5% |
| Other services | 6.6% |
| Manufacturing | 6.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.9% |
| Public administration | 3.3% |
| Construction | 2.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Information | 1.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Cape Girardeau lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Scott County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau County | 82,735 | $5,359 million | $64,776 | 41,463 | 2,822 | $51,752 | -0.3% | 2.9% | 43,141 |
| Scott County | 37,933 | $2,219 million | $58,501 | 16,179 | 1,306 | $49,793 | +1.1% | 3.4% | 18,958 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 10,297 | 28.9% | $58,712 | 1.73 |
| Retail trade | 5,784 | 16.3% | $35,271 | 1.40 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,324 | 12.1% | $21,564 | 1.15 |
| Manufacturing | 3,793 | 10.7% | $72,512 | 1.11 |
| Construction | 1,831 | 5.1% | $64,381 | 0.84 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,640 | 4.6% | $55,539 | 1.00 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,309 | 3.7% | $45,879 | 0.54 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,303 | 3.7% | $65,996 | 0.45 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,008 | 2.8% | $39,868 | 0.81 |
| Finance and insurance | 996 | 2.8% | $77,306 | 0.59 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 908 | 2.6% | $69,723 | 0.52 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 661 | 1.9% | $32,149 | 0.95 |
| Information | 569 | 1.6% | $69,517 | 0.73 |
| Management of companies | 392 | 1.1% | $111,662 | 0.56 |
| Real estate and rental | 386 | 1.1% | $50,059 | 0.60 |
| Educational services | 228 | 0.6% | $31,426 | 0.27 |
| Utilities | 164 | 0.5% | $82,857 | 1.04 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 79.9% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 2.8% |
| Work from home | 7.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,658 |
| Income per person | $32,930 |
| Median gross rent per month | $876 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 18.9% |
| Median home value | $196,300 |
| Homeowners | 54.0% |
| Poverty rate | 20.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 86.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $44,470 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 4.70%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 34.9% |
| Born abroad | 3.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.2 | 32 | 78 |
| Feb | 1.9 | 35 | 87 |
| Mar | 7.9 | 46 | 117 |
| Apr | 14.0 | 57 | 133 |
| May | 19.1 | 66 | 130 |
| Jun | 23.9 | 75 | 96 |
| Jul | 25.7 | 78 | 107 |
| Aug | 25.4 | 78 | 84 |
| Sep | 21.6 | 71 | 78 |
| Oct | 14.5 | 58 | 102 |
| Nov | 7.6 | 46 | 101 |
| Dec | 2.4 | 36 | 101 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | MO | 7 mi | 15,659 | $77,105 | $900 |
| Sikeston | MO | 29 mi | 16,320 | $58,915 | $891 |
| Paducah | KY | 53 mi | 26,845 | $49,915 | $834 |
| Farmington | MO | 58 mi | 18,282 | $53,729 | $855 |
| Poplar Bluff | MO | 60 mi | 16,254 | $41,941 | $760 |
| Mayfield | KY | 64 mi | 9,868 | $40,965 | $644 |
| Union City | TN | 67 mi | 10,982 | $50,870 | $739 |
| Martin | TN | 78 mi | 10,915 | $43,381 | $859 |
| Festus | MO | 78 mi | 13,201 | $73,532 | $922 |
| Murray | KY | 83 mi | 18,080 | $44,091 | $870 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
40,344 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$876 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 18.9% of the median household income.
$55,658 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.9% (BLS county, Cape Girardeau County (latest month 2026M09)).
Missouri. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.