Jobs, pay and daily life in Poplar Bluff, 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.
Poplar Bluff is a city in Missouri with 16,254 residents. The median household earns $41,941 a year and the median rent is $760 a month, which is 21.7% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Poplar Bluff compares. Among the 80 largest places in Missouri, Poplar Bluff is #54 by population, #79 for household income (#1 = highest), #3 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #78 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Butler County, is #46 of 115 counties for average pay ($46,285).
Poplar Bluff has 16,254 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Missouri. It covers 14 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,204 people per square mile. The median age is 37.3, 4% younger than the state median (37.3 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $760 a month (rent plus utilities), 26% below the state median ($760 against $1,033). Over a year that is 21.7% 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 $119,800, which is 2.9 times the median household income ($41,941); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 53.1% of households own their home, 22% below the state average (53.1% against 68.1%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Butler County was 4.0%. 51.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Butler County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 77.2% drive alone, 0.8% use public transit, 1.8% walk, 3.7% work from home. 9.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 16% below the state average (9.7% against 11.5%).
14.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 55% below the state share (14.4% against 32.4%). 1.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 68% below the state share (1.4% against 4.5%). The poverty rate is 20.8%, 65% above the state rate (20.8% against 12.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 79°F (25.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 34°F (0.9°C). About 1,247 mm (49 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (144 mm) and Jan the driest (73 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: Pocahontas (46 miles, similar rent); Sikeston (46 miles, rent 17% higher); Paragould (49 miles, rent 22% higher); Jackson (60 miles, rent 18% higher). Rent differences are against Poplar Bluff; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Missouri (988) →State guide: MissouriCountry guideButler 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.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.5% |
| Manufacturing | 17.9% |
| Retail trade | 16.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 14.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 4.7% |
| Construction | 4.1% |
| Other services | 3.6% |
| Public administration | 3.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.7% |
| Information | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Poplar Bluff lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County | 42,020 | $2,004 million | $47,683 | 18,133 | 1,544 | $46,285 | +0.4% | 4.0% | 17,150 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 4,058 | 28.2% | $47,638 | 1.56 |
| Retail trade | 2,832 | 19.7% | $33,542 | 1.56 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,902 | 13.2% | $21,883 | 1.15 |
| Manufacturing | 1,842 | 12.8% | $50,432 | 1.24 |
| Administrative and waste services | 599 | 4.2% | $20,892 | 0.56 |
| Finance and insurance | 585 | 4.1% | $63,629 | 0.79 |
| Construction | 506 | 3.5% | $58,292 | 0.53 |
| Professional and technical services | 488 | 3.4% | $77,333 | 0.39 |
| Wholesale trade | 417 | 2.9% | $62,683 | 0.58 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 336 | 2.3% | $37,731 | 0.62 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 335 | 2.3% | $54,212 | 0.44 |
| Real estate and rental | 141 | 1.0% | $50,181 | 0.50 |
| Utilities | 125 | 0.9% | $101,192 | 1.81 |
| Information | 103 | 0.7% | $43,081 | 0.30 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 95 | 0.7% | $19,218 | 0.31 |
| Management of companies | 31 | 0.2% | $64,483 | 0.10 |
| Educational services | 17 | 0.1% | $38,540 | 0.05 |
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 | 77.2% |
| Public transit | 0.8% |
| Walk | 1.8% |
| Work from home | 3.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,941 |
| Income per person | $22,619 |
| Median gross rent per month | $760 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.7% |
| Median home value | $119,800 |
| Homeowners | 53.1% |
| Poverty rate | 20.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
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 | 37.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 83.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 14.4% |
| Born abroad | 1.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 51.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.9 | 34 | 73 |
| Feb | 2.6 | 37 | 88 |
| Mar | 8.4 | 47 | 122 |
| Apr | 14.3 | 58 | 140 |
| May | 19.3 | 67 | 144 |
| Jun | 24.0 | 75 | 84 |
| Jul | 25.9 | 79 | 105 |
| Aug | 25.4 | 78 | 100 |
| Sep | 21.5 | 71 | 85 |
| Oct | 14.6 | 58 | 100 |
| Nov | 8.0 | 46 | 108 |
| Dec | 2.7 | 37 | 98 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas | AR | 46 mi | 7,538 | $44,216 | $768 |
| Sikeston | MO | 46 mi | 16,320 | $58,915 | $891 |
| Paragould | AR | 49 mi | 30,215 | $56,980 | $925 |
| Jackson | MO | 60 mi | 15,659 | $77,105 | $900 |
| Cape Girardeau | MO | 60 mi | 40,344 | $55,658 | $876 |
| Blytheville | AR | 64 mi | 12,790 | $47,865 | $855 |
| Jonesboro | AR | 67 mi | 80,137 | $55,424 | $956 |
| Farmington | MO | 70 mi | 18,282 | $53,729 | $855 |
| Trumann | AR | 75 mi | 7,410 | $38,881 | $586 |
| Dyersburg | TN | 76 mi | 15,979 | $52,064 | $782 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
16,254 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$760 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.7% of the median household income.
$41,941 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.0% (BLS county, Butler County (latest month 2026M09)).
Missouri. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.