Cape Girardeau, MO — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Missouri·Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau County · Cape Girardeau · population 40,818

First-time buyers
Cape Girardeau, MO
Image: Wikipedia · Cape Girardeau, Missouri
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
71
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Cape Girardeau stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 5.1% in the last year.

Median home $221,552
1-year +5.1%
5-yr CAGR +5.3%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$222k$125k$160k$195k$230k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,068/mo$846$994$1,142202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent111119100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 17.3
Lean buy

At a 17.3 price-to-rent ratio, Cape Girardeau is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
75 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
66 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
61 · w16%
Rent YoY
67 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
62 · w10%
Long thesis

Cape Girardeau has held up across the cycle: home values at $221,552 with +5.3% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Cape Girardeau's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau is a city in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, with an estimated population of 40,818. The population grew 0.8% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Cape Girardeau is $221,552 as of 2026-04, up 5.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Cape Girardeau average $1,068 per month, up 3.3% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 71 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $221,552 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +5.3% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +5.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Cape Girardeau (Wikipedia)

Cape Girardeau is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 39,540 at the 2020 census, making it the 17th-largest city in the state. It is a principal city of the Cape Girardeau–Jackson metropolitan area with 97,517 residents. Cape Girardeau is the economic center of southeastern Missouri and the home of Southeast Missouri State University. It is located approximately 100 miles (160 km) southeast of St. Louis and 150 miles (240 km) north of Memphis, Tennessee.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Cape Girardeau County right now.

NWS active alerts (MO)Missouri Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Cape Girardeau County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Cape Girardeau

Warrensburg, MO73 · RisingJackson, MO72 · RisingArnold, MO69 · RisingMarshall, MO69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Cape Girardeau

ToolCan I afford Cape Girardeau?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Cape Girardeau rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Cape Girardeau to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolCape Girardeau cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
39° / 22°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
88° / 67°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
211
~58% of year
Annual precip
42″ rain
16″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
High
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Cape Girardeau listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Cape Girardeau area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$65,900
Missouri state median
Top industries (state-level)
HealthcareManufacturingFinance

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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