City safety & data profile

Cape GirardeauMO

Cape Girardeau, MO is a 39K-resident city in Cape Girardeau County with a median household income of $55,658.

Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Cape Girardeau, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Cape Girardeau has a population larger than 73% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $196,300, and 3 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

39K
Population
Top 27%
By size
$55,658
Median income
$196,300
Median home
20.8%
Poverty rate

The read on Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau posts a median household income higher than 16% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 3 hospitals serve the Cape Girardeau area.

Top 84%
by median income, US cities
3
hospitals in & near Cape Girardeau

Where Cape Girardeau income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$55,658 Bottom 16% higher than 16% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MO $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Cape Girardeau, MO beyond the headline numbers

Cape Girardeau sits inside Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, at roughly 37.31°N, -89.52°W. Population 39,462, $55,658 median household income. Median home value $196,300, median rent $876. Poverty rate 20.8%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Cape Girardeau's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 38.4%, then obesity at 35.5%. 3 hospitals in/around Cape Girardeau, 2.5/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Cape Girardeau from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
39,462
Cape Girardeau
Median Income
$55,658
-18% vs avg
Median Home Value
$196,300
-14% vs avg
Median Age
34.5
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Cape Girardeau County) - Cape Girardeau's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
83K+8%
Median Income
$68,464+47%
Median Home Value
$220,700+61%
Poverty Rate
13.9%-12%
Unemployment
2.3%-68%

Economics

Economics indicators for Cape Girardeau, MO
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$876/mo
Poverty Rate
20.8% +46% vs avg
Unemployment 2.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 34.9%
Work From Home 7.9%
Public Transit 0.2%

Population

White 76.4%
African American 13.2%
Asian 2.6%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
38.4%
Obesity
35.5%
High Blood Pressure
35.2%
Physical Inactivity
30.5%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.6%
Binge Drinking
16.1%
Current Smoking
15.8%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.5%
Diabetes
11.5%
Current Asthma
11.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 55.2%
Annual Checkup 78.3%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
9.5%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.6%
Stroke
3.6%

Hospitals 3 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2.5/5
Total Hospitals
3
With ER
2
SAINT FRANCIS MEDICAL CENTER
CAPE GIRARDEAU · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆
MERCY HOSPITAL SOUTHEAST
CAPE GIRARDEAU · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Cape Girardeau, MO? ▼
Cape Girardeau, MO has a population of 39,462 people, located in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.
What is the median household income in Cape Girardeau? ▼
The median household income in Cape Girardeau, MO is $55,658 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 20.8%.
What is the median home value in Cape Girardeau? ▼
The median home value in Cape Girardeau, MO is $196,300. Median rent is $876/month.
What are the top health concerns in Cape Girardeau? ▼
The top health indicators in Cape Girardeau include Short Sleep Duration (38.4%), Obesity (35.5%), High Blood Pressure (35.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Cape Girardeau? ▼
Cape Girardeau has 3 hospitals with an average rating of 2.5/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Cape Girardeau? ▼
The median age in Cape Girardeau, MO is 34.5 years. 34.9% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Cape Girardeau, MO is located in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. With a population of 39K and a $55,658 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 3 hospitals with an average rating of 2.5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Cape Girardeau area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Missouri

Real-time AQI for every monitored Missouri location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Jackson, MO 15K Sikeston, MO 16K Carbondale, IL 26K Herrin, IL 13K Marion, IL 18K Paducah, KY 25K Union City, TN 11K Farmington, MO 18K
All cities in Missouri → Compare Cape Girardeau vs Jackson → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Cape Girardeau's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Cape Girardeau area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Cape Girardeau against Missouri peers on any ranking lens. Explore Missouri

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Cape Girardeau County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.