What is the cost of living in Cape Girardeau, MO?

Cape Girardeau indexes at 77 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $864/mo and a acs median home value of $196,300.

How much does a house cost in Cape Girardeau?

The acs median home value in Cape Girardeau is $196,300, 13% below the Missouri median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).

How much is rent in Cape Girardeau?

A two-bedroom in Cape Girardeau rents for about $864/mo.

City data & comparisons

Cape Girardeau County · Missouri · Midwest · 40k residents

Cape Girardeau, MO: cost of living, taxes & quality of life

Residential facts for Cape Girardeau: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Missouri median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.

Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.

The acs median home value in Cape Girardeau is $196,300, 13% below the Missouri median. A two-bedroom rents for about $864/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 77 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $55,658 a year.

What the numbers show

Source-confirmed findings

Housing value: The ACS median home value in Cape Girardeau is $196,300, 12.6% below the median for ACS-covered places in Missouri.
Household income: Median household income is $55,658, 25% below the median for ACS-covered places in Missouri.
Adult education: 34.9% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, right around the median for ACS-covered places in Missouri.
Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 3.5 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.

What makes this place distinctive

A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.

A researched local story is not published for this city yet. The signals below are the verified profile context.

Scale: A smaller city in the profile data, with fewer than 50,000 residents.
Setting: The profile places Cape Girardeau about 67 miles from the nearest tracked mountain.
Climate signal: The profile records 205 sunny days.
Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 30 and an average commute of 24 minutes.

WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.

Compare Cape Girardeau for residents

Compare Cape Girardeau side by side

Cost of living index

cheaper than 94% of US cities

ACS median home value

$196,300

−13% vs state mediancheaper than 84% of US cities

2-bedroom rent

$864/mo

cheaper than 96% of US cities

Median household income

$55,658

−25% vs state medianhigher than 14% of US cities

Housing momentum

How fast Cape Girardeau's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.

76/100

Heating

Home prices YoY: +4.9% (top 12%)Rents YoY: +3.4% (top 36%)Home prices MoM: +0.2% (top 15%)

Momentum rising · +20 over 2 yr

Ranks Cape Girardeau's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.

What does your salary buy in Cape Girardeau?

$a year

Adjusted by Cape Girardeau's cost-of-living index versus the US average.

All facets · Cape Girardeau

Housing — Buy
ACS median home value	$196,300
Price per sq. ft.	$155
Property tax rate	0.88%

Housing — Rent
1-bedroom rent	$736/mo
2-bedroom rent	$864/mo

Taxes
State & local income tax	2.95%
Sales tax	8.4%

Monthly Costs
Cost of living index	77
Groceries index	95
Utilities	$165/mo
Transit pass	$78/mo
Gas price	$3.00/gal
Healthcare index	94
Childcare (per child)	$1,000/mo

Economy & Jobs
Median household income	$55,658
Unemployment rate	3.5%
Population	40k

Quality of Life
Crime index	55/100
School rating	5.5/10
Walkability	30/100
Disaster risk	86/100
Avg. commute	24 min

Climate
Sunny days / year	205 days
July high	89°F
January low	26°F
Annual snowfall	—

Market Trends
Home price YoY	+4.9%
Home price MoM	+0.2%
Rent YoY	+3.4%
Rent MoM	+0.3%

Location & Access
Ocean coast	481 mi
Big lake	90 mi
Mountains	67 mi
Major airport	109 mi
Ski resort	104 mi

Compare & explore

Popular comparisons

Nearby

Similar size

Real listings in Cape Girardeau

Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗

Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.

Questions & answers

What is the cost of living in Cape Girardeau, MO?: Cape Girardeau indexes at 77 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $864/mo and a acs median home value of $196,300.
How much does a house cost in Cape Girardeau?: The acs median home value in Cape Girardeau is $196,300, 13% below the Missouri median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
How much is rent in Cape Girardeau?: A two-bedroom in Cape Girardeau rents for about $864/mo.