Cape Girardeau, MO-IL

What the Numbers Mean for Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau ranks #364 of 387 U.S. metro areas measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, placing it in the bottom quartile for cost. With an overall Regional Price Parity of 86.1, Cape Girardeau, MO-IL is 13.9% less expensive than the national baseline of 100. The gap between Cape Girardeau's most and least expensive categories — the priciest line item versus rents at 56.4 — is what drives the household budget experience on the ground, not the single headline number.

Translated into dollars, a nationally-benchmarked $100,000 salary carries the purchasing power of $116,174 inside Cape Girardeau, while a household needs roughly $86,078 here to match a $100K lifestyle elsewhere. Rents carry the biggest swing in the BEA formula and are indexed at 56.4 — 43.6% below the national average — so anyone weighing a move or a remote-work arbitrage should treat the housing line as the single largest variable in the equation.

Looking at the 2008-2024 trajectory, Cape Girardeau's overall index has risen by 4.8 points, signaling tightening affordability. For the 2024 data year, goods are indexed at 94.2 and services at 85.6, meaning everyday spending in Cape Girardeau is governed more by the services and rent mix than by retail goods prices. Readers comparing multiple destinations should always pair the RPP headline with local wage data and housing costs before drawing relocation conclusions.