• county
  • FIPS 29031
  • Largest town: Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau County, Missouri

Cape Girardeau County had 83,658 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 578.5 square miles of land. It ranks 14th of 115 in Missouri by population and 59th by land area.

Population
83,658
#14 of 115 in Missouri · #701 in US
Area
578.5 sq mi
#59 of 115 in Missouri · #1,707 in US
Density
145 / sq mi
#16 of 115 in Missouri · #714 in US
Median household income
$67,445
#23 of 115 in Missouri · #1,170 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Cape Girardeau County within Missouri. Pin: Jefferson City.

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Cape Girardeau County population, land area and income

Cape Girardeau County had 83,658 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 578.5 square miles of land. It ranks 14th of 115 in Missouri by population and 59th by land area. That works out to 144.6 people per square mile, 1.5 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Missouri has 19,100 residents, so Cape Girardeau County is 4.4 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $67,445 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

83,658

3144th1st

701st of 3,144 (US)

Land area

579 sq mi

3144th1st

1707th of 3,144 (US)

Density

144.6 / sq mi

3144th1st

714th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$67,445

3143rd1st

1170th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Missouri (115)

Population

83,658

115th1st

14th of 115 (MO)

Land area

579 sq mi

115th1st

59th of 115 (MO)

Density

144.6 / sq mi

115th1st

16th of 115 (MO)

Median household income

$67,445

115th1st

23rd of 115 (MO)

How Cape Girardeau County's population changed since 2020

Cape Girardeau County gained 1,834 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 2.2%. That ranks 44th of 115 in Missouri for growth. The median Missouri county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.5%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Cape Girardeau County recorded 3,876 births and 3,938 deaths, a natural change of -62. Net international migration added +610 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +1,353. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 1,353 people.

81.8k202082.1k202182.9k202283.1k202383.7k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
3,876
Deaths
3,938
Net international migration
+610
Net domestic migration
+1,353
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+548

Where Cape Girardeau County is

The Census internal point of Cape Girardeau County is at 37.384100, -89.685700. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Missouri's 115 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Cape Girardeau County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Pettis County: +1.8%Henry County: +2.7%Texas County: +5.7%Madison County: +1.8%St. Louis city: -6.9%Cole County: +1.3%Washington County: +0.6%Macon County: -0.1%Barton County: +0.8%Grundy County: +0.1%Cedar County: +5.7%Randolph County: -1.6%Ray County: +0.3%Caldwell County: +2.0%Benton County: +6.1%Douglas County: +5.9%Shannon County: +3.4%Dade County: +0.5%Wright County: +7.1%Gentry County: +2.6%Lawrence County: +3.0%Cooper County: +2.9%Hickory County: +5.6%Moniteau County: +0.5%Dent County: +2.3%Monroe County: +2.3%Maries County: +0.7%Bollinger County: +0.5%Clinton County: +2.4%Knox County: +0.0%Webster County: +7.8%Harrison County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.1%Adair County: +1.5%Warren County: +7.7%Daviess County: +1.3%Audrain County: -1.9%Howard County: -0.1%Linn County: +0.4%Saline County: -0.1%Miller County: +3.6%Dallas County: +4.3%Morgan County: +6.7%New Madrid County: -6.8%Newton County: +4.8%Oregon County: +1.0%Franklin County: +2.3%Greene County: +2.9%Ralls County: +1.4%Lafayette County: +1.4%Livingston County: +4.8%McDonald County: +3.3%Barry County: +3.1%Cape Girardeau County: +2.2%Carroll County: -0.6%Christian County: +7.6%Vernon County: +0.6%Carter County: +3.0%Andrew County: -0.1%Jasper County: +2.9%Worth County: -4.9%Lincoln County: +10.1%Marion County: -0.2%Holt County: +1.2%Howell County: +2.4%St. Francois County: +1.6%Chariton County: +0.1%Butler County: -0.6%Iron County: -1.0%Perry County: +0.7%Cass County: +5.3%St. Louis County: -1.0%Dunklin County: -4.3%Wayne County: -1.1%Ozark County: +6.7%Laclede County: +1.9%Reynolds County: -2.5%Lewis County: -1.9%Taney County: +1.2%Ripley County: +0.4%Ste. Genevieve County: +0.4%Scotland County: -0.1%Putnam County: -3.1%Schuyler County: +1.5%Shelby County: -2.8%Boone County: +4.4%Mercer County: -1.7%Platte County: +5.6%Camden County: +3.1%Bates County: +2.1%Johnson County: +3.4%Sullivan County: -3.8%Atchison County: -3.1%Scott County: -0.2%Montgomery County: +2.0%Jefferson County: +2.2%Clark County: -0.5%Callaway County: +1.8%St. Clair County: +5.4%Buchanan County: -1.1%Pemiscot County: -7.6%Polk County: +4.6%Phelps County: +2.5%Stone County: +4.6%Osage County: +1.7%Clay County: +3.6%Nodaway County: -2.4%Crawford County: -1.0%Jackson County: +1.4%St. Charles County: +4.3%Mississippi County: -3.1%Pike County: +3.1%Stoddard County: -0.7%Gasconade County: -0.7%DeKalb County: -14.8%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -0.7%
  2. < +0.5%
  3. < +2.0%
  4. < +3.6%
  5. ≥ +3.6%
no data

Orange pin: Cape Girardeau County internal point. Dark pin: Jefferson City.

Internal point

Decimal
37.384100, -89.685700
DMS
37°23'2.76"N 89°41'8.52"W
UTM
16N 262221.3E 4140868.2N
Geohash
dn8hxjsf5
Plus code
869G98M7+JP

Towns in Cape Girardeau County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Cape Girardeau County, 56,747 people together, or 68% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Cape Girardeau County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Cape Girardeau with 40,818.

  1. 01Cape Girardeau40,818
  2. 02Jackson15,929
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Cape Girardeau County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Cape Girardeau County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Scott County, MO, with 37,957 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Jefferson City and the nearest big city

Jefferson City is 158.6 miles WNW of Cape Girardeau County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is St. Louis, MO (population 279,695), 91.7 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Jackson, MO (population 15,929), 1.7 miles away.

Cape Girardeau County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Cape Girardeau County is 29031: state code 29 for Missouri plus county code 031. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $67,445.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 83,658. That is up 1,834 people (2.2%) from the July 2020 estimate of 81,824.

What is the FIPS code of Cape Girardeau County?

29031. The first two digits (29) are Missouri; the last three (031) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Cape Girardeau County?

Cape Girardeau, with 40,818 residents inside Cape Girardeau County in 2024.

Which counties border Cape Girardeau County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Scott County, MO; Stoddard County, MO; Perry County, MO; Union County, IL; Bollinger County, MO; Alexander County, IL.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.