City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

East Cape Girardeau, IL

East Cape Girardeau's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

292
Residents
$42,188
Median income
$57,500
Median home
$1,063
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for East Cape Girardeau.

Place dossier plate

Sheet IL-EAST-CAPE-GIRARDEAU-IL · East Cape Girardeau, IL 292 pop · income 10th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-LOW · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 292
  • INC-LOW $42,188
  • COL-PAR 100.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 10th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Donaldson
  • HOME-LOW $57,500
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Donaldson, AR (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around East Cape Girardeau

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest East Cape Girardeau on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for East Cape Girardeau on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 292.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $42,188. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

East Cape Girardeau - the verdict

East Cape Girardeau ranks in the 10th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

10th
percentile, household income
1st
percentile, home value
18th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: East Cape Girardeau, IL

292 people live in East Cape Girardeau, Illinois - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in East Cape Girardeau brings in $42,188 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 10.0%. Typical homes in East Cape Girardeau are valued around $57,500, and the median resident age is 38.2 years. 9.6% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 42.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits).

Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 100.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,063 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 out of 100 (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of East Cape Girardeau's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to population change to work and mobility to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For East Cape Girardeau, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, annual population history, local building permits. No matched row is reported here for matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

Which cities make useful reference points for East Cape Girardeau?

Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Mapleton (294 residents, $65,729 income); Loda (289 residents, $61,250 income); Medora (295 residents, $75,000 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Catherine, CO (292 residents); Maunaloa, HI (292 residents); Merom, IN (292 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

2. Population change

Is East Cape Girardeau growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -33 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -11.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

3. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in East Cape Girardeau?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 93.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 4

How far does income reach against housing in East Cape Girardeau?

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 1.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

292 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$42,188 /yr

Lowest-decile income · poverty 10.0% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

City profile score · East Cape Girardeau, IL

24/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Poverty rate D
10.0%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Cost of living D
100.0 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Household income F
$42,188

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Bachelor's+ share F
9.6%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

East Cape Girardeau profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Cost of living, Household income, Bachelor's+ share. Poverty rateCost of livingHousehold incomeBachelor's+ share 24 F
East Cape Girardeau profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 40/100 (D) · 10.0%
  • Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
  • Household income: 10/100 (F) · $42,188
  • Bachelor's+ share: 5/100 (F) · 9.6%

How does East Cape Girardeau compare to other US cities?

Here's how East Cape Girardeau stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 10% higher than other cities
Home value 1% pricier than other cities
Median rent 18% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares East Cape Girardeau against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Illinois only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Illinois-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places East Cape Girardeau near the bottom of Illinois's cities

Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, East Cape Girardeau ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares East Cape Girardeau only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#1,228 of 1,311
6th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#1,241 of 1,315
5th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#455 of 1,335
65th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,099 of 1,336
17th percentile in Illinois
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Illinois only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

10thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

10th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How East Cape Girardeau's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$57,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 99% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. East Cape Girardeau $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

East Cape Girardeau's home-value-to-income ratio: 1.4×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#229 of 15,516
More affordable than 99% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#225 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 1.4×, East Cape Girardeau sits in the affordable band: national rank #229 of 15,516 and #225 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$42,188 East Cape Girardeau, IL median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - East Cape Girardeau, IL East Cape Girardeau, IL's median household income ($42,188) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not East Cape Girardeau, IL-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution East Cape Girardeau, IL median $42,188/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
East Cape Girardeau, IL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for East Cape Girardeau, IL.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 9.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 10.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 42.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
292
Median Income
$42,188
Median Home Value
$57,500
Median Age
38.2
Poverty Rate
10.0%
Labor force participation
42.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
9.6%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
240 residents250 residents260 residents270 residents280 residents290 residents 202020212022202320242025 284 residents 251 residents ▼ -11.6%
East Cape Girardeau's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 284 residents
2021 276 residents
2022 267 residents
2023 260 residents
2024 253 residents
2025 251 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
93.7%
Carpool
4.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
2.1%

Based on 95 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Illinois statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $240

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Illinois at $240 (electricity about $100 , water and sewer about $50 ).

These are Illinois statewide averages, not a meter reading for East Cape Girardeau. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Illinois's BEA cost-of-living index is 100.0 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around East Cape Girardeau is $1,063/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Illinois statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Illinois statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county East Cape Girardeau sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How East Cape Girardeau compares to similar-size Illinois cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
East Cape Girardeau (this city) 292 $42,188
Mapleton 294 $65,729
Loda 289 $61,250
Medora 295 $75,000
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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