Missouri · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Cape Girardeau County, MO

Prices around Cape Girardeau County, MO run 13.9% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $68,464 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $992 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $39,680 a year.

Cape Girardeau County, MO at a glance

Median household income

$68,464$5,705 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$992HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)86.1-13.9% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity16.2¢per kWh · EIA Residential MO
Population82,735Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Cape Girardeau County, MO?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$992Monthly market rent
Share of gross income17.4%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$39,680To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,712At 30% of $68,464
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Cape Girardeau County, MO? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Cape Girardeau, MO-IL MSA, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Cape Girardeau County, MO, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$763$9,156$30,52013.4%
1-Bedroom Apartment$807$9,684$32,28014.1%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$992$11,904$39,68017.4%
3-Bedroom Home$1,380$16,560$55,20024.2%
4-Bedroom Home$1,664$19,968$66,56029.2%

Rent in Cape Girardeau County, MO, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Cape Girardeau County, MO

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $68,464 a year ($5,705 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,853/moRent ($992 2-BR), utilities (~$146/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,712/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,141/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $68,464 leaves after Missouri taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Missouri tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$68,464
$25,000$140,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$68,464
Net 80%
Fed 9%
MO 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$54,737After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,561Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,105Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate20.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$6,232 / yr
Missouri state income tax$2,258 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,238 / yr

Living in Cape Girardeau County, MO: common questions

What is the median household income in Cape Girardeau County, MO?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Cape Girardeau County, MO is $68,464 per year (approximately $5,705 per month).

What is the average rent in Cape Girardeau County, MO?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $763 for a studio, $807 for one bedroom, $992 for two, $1,380 for three and $1,664 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Cape Girardeau County, MO expensive to live in?

Prices there run 13.9% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 86.1, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Cape Girardeau County, MO?

To keep a $992 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $39,680 a year, or $3,307 a month. That is 58% of what the typical household in Cape Girardeau County, MO earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Cape Girardeau County, MO?

On the local median income of $68,464 ($5,705 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,853 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,712 for everything else and $1,141 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $992 takes 35% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Cape Girardeau County, MO?

Homes in Missouri paid 16.2¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $146. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.