Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
affordable
Price to income
2.90×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Missouri
- 2.93×-0.03
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.53
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
17.7%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Missouri
- 19.4%-1.7
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-5.6
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.96%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Missouri
- 4.00%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.05%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Missouri
- -0.02%+0.07
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.03
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
0.90
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Missouri
- 2.99
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
healthy
Unemployment
3.0%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Missouri
- 3.0%-0.0
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-0.9
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+43.5%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+5.3%
Median home value
$195,200
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $807 | $9,684 | 14.4% |
| 2 BR | $992 | $11,904 | 17.7% |
| 3 BR | $1,380 | $16,560 | 24.6% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
3.0%
Median household income
$67,267
What's being built
Total TTM
88
+29.5% YoY
Single-family
78
2–4 unit
10
5+ unit
0
All 3 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau County | 81,703 | $208,300 | $68,912 | 87 | +29.9% |
| Bollinger County | 10,658 | $142,400 | $57,286 | 1 | — |
| Alexander County | 5,261 | $58,700 | $43,523 | 0 | — |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Cape Girardeau | 97,622 | $67,267 | 2.90× | 3.96% | +43.5% | 0.90 | 3.0% |
| Victoria, TX | 98,301 | $69,618 | — | — | +37.2% | — | 3.9% |
| Pocatello, ID | 95,352 | $64,080 | — | — | +59.3% | — | 3.8% |
| Ocean City, NJ | 95,456 | $63,690 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 104,055 | $68,653 | — | — | +34.8% | — | 2.7% |
| Rome, GA | 98,541 | $62,540 | — | — | +60.9% | — | 3.3% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+53
+0.05% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Scott County, MO | 326 |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 114 |
| Bollinger County, MO | 109 |
| Perry County, MO | 85 |
| Stoddard County, MO | 85 |
| St. Louis County, MO | 75 |
Who lives in Cape Girardeau
- Median age
- 38
- Bachelor's+
- 30.4%
- Owner-occupancy
- 67.9%
- Vacancy rate
- 12.9%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 40.7%
- Median household income
- $67,267
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.