1st Advantage MortgageBollinger County households have a median income of $63,814 and median rent of $694 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). A loan makes sense only if its total cost beats your alternatives and the payment fits your budget. Check the lender's Missouri license first.
On this page
- Bollinger County by the numbers
- What Bollinger County households earn
- How Bollinger County residents earn a living
- What it costs to live in Bollinger County
- The communities that make up Bollinger County
- The counties around Bollinger County
- What a median Bollinger County budget can carry
- Before borrowing in Bollinger County
- Bollinger County households compared
- Before you sign
- Lender oversight for Bollinger County
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Bollinger County by the numbers
Roughly 10,559 residents live in Bollinger County, Missouri, 83rd by population among the state's 115 counties and county equivalents. Spread over 618 square miles, that works out to roughly 17.1 residents per square mile. The federal metro definitions (OMB, July 2023) place it in the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metropolitan area. The Census Bureau counts 4 places in the county (3 incorporated, 1 census-designated); the largest is Marble Hill, with about 1,758 residents, or 17% of the county.
What Bollinger County households earn
The median household income in Bollinger County is $63,814; statewide it is $70,702, so Bollinger County runs 10% below Missouri as a whole.
| Band | Bollinger County | Compared with Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 32.3% | +8.7 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 41.7% | -0.8 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 24.3% | -0.9 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 1.7% | -7.0 pts |
The spread is wide: 26% of Bollinger County households make $100,000 or more, and 32% make less than $35,000. 13.6% of residents fall below the federal poverty line (statewide: 12.6%). Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.400 here. Income from any regular source can count, including Social Security, pensions and disability benefits, as long as you can document it.
How Bollinger County residents earn a living
The biggest employer of Bollinger County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 25% of workers, followed by manufacturing (17%). Compared with Missouri, the county leans toward construction (16% against 7%). The survey's unemployment rate for Bollinger County averages 3.5% over 2020 to 2024 (state: 4.0%). Long commutes are common here: 35% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. Only 3.6% of homes here go without a vehicle.
| Where residents work | Bollinger County | Difference from Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.9% | +0.5 pts |
| Manufacturing | 16.9% | +5.7 pts |
| Construction | 16.2% | +9.3 pts |
| Retail trade | 13.7% | +2.3 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 4.3% | -6.1 pts |
| Public administration | 4.3% | 0.0 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Bollinger County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
What it costs to live in Bollinger County
A typical Bollinger County rental runs $694 a month including utilities, which is 33% below Missouri. 45% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 20% spend half or more. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $179,800, about 2.8 times the median household income. Owners occupy 82% of homes. Half the housing stock was built before 1982.
| Cost | Bollinger County | Missouri figure | Median county, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $694/mo | $1,033/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $179,800 | $230,300 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 82% | 68% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 45% | 46% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 13% | 22% | n/a |
In an owner-heavy county like Bollinger County, many borrowers can also choose a home equity loan or line of credit. Those can price lower but put the house on the line, so compare the two in writing; our personal loan vs. HELOC guide walks through it.
The communities that make up Bollinger County
Here are the 4 most populous of the county's 4 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 19% of Bollinger County residents live in one of the 4. None of the 4 has its own city guide, so this page covers all of them.
| Community | Type | Residents | Household income (median) | Rent (median) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marble Hill | city | 1,758 | $37,734 | $775 | 3 mi |
| Sedgewickville | village | 201 | $92,083 | $679 | 15 mi |
| Glen Allen | town | 50 | $43,125 | n/a | 0 mi |
| Zalma | CDP | 50 | $50,313 | n/a | 13 mi |
The counties around Bollinger County
The six counties whose centers lie closest to Bollinger County's, from 19 to 33 miles away. Income ranges from $47,226 in Wayne County to $68,464 in Cape Girardeau County; 1 of these neighbors top Bollinger County's median.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bollinger County | - | $63,814 | $694/mo | 82% |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 19 mi | $68,464 | $881/mo | 67% |
| Madison County, MO | 21 mi | $54,434 | $808/mo | 74% |
| Wayne County, MO | 28 mi | $47,226 | $665/mo | 75% |
| Perry County, MO | 30 mi | $62,981 | $923/mo | 77% |
| Scott County, MO | 31 mi | $62,782 | $873/mo | 71% |
| Stoddard County, MO | 33 mi | $57,957 | $760/mo | 72% |
What a median Bollinger County budget can carry
How much room does a median Bollinger County budget have? Take median income, subtract median rent, and check what is left under a few common debt-to-income limits.
- $5,318 a month: gross income for a household at the Bollinger County median
- Less median rent of $694, which is 13% of it
- At 36%, room after rent is $1,220 a month
Two-income households and single earners in Bollinger County land in very different places on this math, so run it for your own budget.
Before borrowing in Bollinger County
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Bollinger County borrowers.
- Keeping the car running. At 35% with long commutes, repairs are a frequent Bollinger County emergency; first decide if the car is worth fixing.
- Mobile home upkeep. 16% of units fall in this category; roof, skirting and HVAC jobs are common reasons to borrow.
- Debt consolidation. One fixed payment can save money only if the written APR and fees beat what you pay now (guide).
Bollinger County households compared
College graduates make up 14% of the adult population. 7.3% of residents have no health coverage.
| Measure | Bollinger County | Missouri statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.5 | 39.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 13.9% | 32.4% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 9.2% | 8.1% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 7.3% | 8.8% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 3.6% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 11.5% | 13.0% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 13.6% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.5% | 4.0% | 4.4% |
| Trip time | Share |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 14.8% |
| 15 to 29 min | 24.2% |
| 30 to 44 min | 25.7% |
| 45 to 59 min | 21.1% |
| 60+ min | 14.1% |
Before you sign
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Ask each lender for the APR and all fees in writing.
- Verify the Missouri license before giving out your Social Security number.
- Pick the shortest term whose payment still fits.
Lender oversight for Bollinger County
Consumer lenders serving Bollinger County are licensed by the state, not the county; in Missouri that is the Missouri Division of Finance. Problems with a lender can also go to the CFPB. More on Missouri: Missouri personal loans.
Nearby and statewide guides
The Missouri guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
What does a typical Bollinger County household make?
About $63,814 a year at the median (ACS 2020-24), 10% below the Missouri median.
What do renters pay in Bollinger County?
$694 a month at the median, about 13% of median household income.
I own my home in Bollinger County. Personal loan or HELOC?
A HELOC uses the house as collateral; a personal loan usually does not. With 82% of homes owner-occupied here, many readers can compare both in writing.
Which towns does the Bollinger County guide cover?
Every community in the county, unincorporated areas included. The largest of its 4 Census places: Marble Hill, Sedgewickville, Glen Allen, Zalma.
Will a Bollinger County address affect my match?
Beyond confirming Missouri as your state, no. Your answers about amount, credit, income and payments are all that count.