Cape Girardeau County Demographics

A map of Cape Girardeau County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	69,142	67,393	83.6%	82.5%
Black	6,109	6,459	7.4%	7.9%
Multiracial	3,230	3,938	3.9%	4.8%
Hispanic	2,439	2,234	2.9%	2.7%
Asian	1,361	1,300	1.6%	1.6%
Native American/Other	454	386	0.5%	0.5%

Cape Girardeau County, Missouri has an estimated population of 82,735, a slight increase from the 81,710 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 83.6% White, 7.4% Black, 3.9% Multiracial, 2.9% Hispanic, 1.6% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Cape Girardeau County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Cape Girardeau has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Missouri overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Cape Girardeau County, that probability was 31.0% in 2020 and 29.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cape Girardeau County is ranked the 15th most populous county in Missouri, out of 115 counties. Cape Girardeau County was ranked the 15th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Cape Girardeau County's White Population

69,142 residents of Cape Girardeau County, or 83.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cape Girardeau County is higher than in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Cape Girardeau County ranks 92nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cape Girardeau County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.6%. White residents' share of Cape Girardeau County's population has increased from 82.5% to 83.6%.

Cape Girardeau County is more White than neighboring Scott County (80.8% White), and Alexander County (62.9% White). Cape Girardeau County is less White than neighboring Bollinger County (93.7% White), Perry County (93.4% White), and Union County (89.5% White).

Cape Girardeau County's Black Population

6,109 residents of Cape Girardeau County, or 7.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cape Girardeau County is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Cape Girardeau County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cape Girardeau County's Black population has declined by an estimated 5.4%. Black residents' share of Cape Girardeau County's population has decreased from 7.9% to 7.4%.

Cape Girardeau County is more Black than neighboring Bollinger County (0.8% Black), Perry County (0.7% Black), and Union County (0.9% Black). Cape Girardeau County is less Black than neighboring Scott County (9.1% Black), and Alexander County (32.9% Black).

Cape Girardeau County's Asian Population

1,361 residents of Cape Girardeau County, or 1.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cape Girardeau County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Cape Girardeau County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cape Girardeau County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 4.7%. Asian residents' share of Cape Girardeau County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.6%.

Cape Girardeau County is more Asian than neighboring Bollinger County (0% Asian), Scott County (0.1% Asian), Perry County (0.8% Asian), Alexander County (0.4% Asian), and Union County (0.6% Asian).

Cape Girardeau County's Hispanic Population

2,439 residents of Cape Girardeau County, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cape Girardeau County is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Cape Girardeau County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cape Girardeau County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 9.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Cape Girardeau County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.9%.

Cape Girardeau County is more Hispanic than neighboring Bollinger County (1.7% Hispanic), Scott County (2.6% Hispanic), Perry County (2.5% Hispanic), and Alexander County (0.7% Hispanic). Cape Girardeau County is less Hispanic than neighboring Union County (5.5% Hispanic).

Cape Girardeau County's Native American/Other Population

454 residents of Cape Girardeau County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Cape Girardeau County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Cape Girardeau County ranks 88th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cape Girardeau County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 17.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cape Girardeau County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Cape Girardeau County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Scott County (0.3% Native American/Other), Perry County (0% Native American/Other), Alexander County (0% Native American/Other), and Union County (0.1% Native American/Other).

Cape Girardeau County's Multiracial Population

3,230 residents of Cape Girardeau County, or 3.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cape Girardeau County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Cape Girardeau County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cape Girardeau County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 18.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Cape Girardeau County's population has decreased from 4.8% to 3.9%.

Cape Girardeau County is more Multiracial than neighboring Bollinger County (3.2% Multiracial), Perry County (2.6% Multiracial), Alexander County (3.1% Multiracial), and Union County (3.4% Multiracial). Cape Girardeau County is less Multiracial than neighboring Scott County (7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.