1st Advantage MortgageThe median Daviess County household earns $63,984, and 11% of residents live below the poverty line. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Daviess County at a glance
- Daviess County housing compared with Missouri
- What Daviess County households earn
- Work, industries and travel time in Daviess County
- Neighboring counties at a glance
- Cities, towns and CDPs in Daviess County
- What a median Daviess County budget can carry
- Daviess County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- Local borrowing considerations for Daviess County
- Missouri rules that apply in Daviess County
- Before you sign
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Daviess County at a glance
Roughly 8,477 residents live in Daviess County, Missouri, 95th by population among the state's 115 counties and county equivalents. It covers 563 square miles of land, or about 15 people per square mile. It sits outside every metropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation. Of the 10 Census places inside Daviess County, Gallatin leads by population with about 1,740; 9 of the 10 are incorporated. With so few households sampled, Daviess County estimates can move a lot between releases.
Daviess County housing compared with Missouri
A typical Daviess County rental runs $696 a month including utilities, which is 33% below Missouri. By the Census definition, 30% of Daviess County renters are cost-burdened. Home values center on $161,800, or 2.5 years of median income. The ownership rate is 79%. The median home was built in 1977, so roofs, wiring and heating systems are a common source of repair bills.
| Home costs | Daviess County | Missouri | U.S. middle county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $696/mo | $1,033/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $161,800 | $230,300 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 79% | 68% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 30% | 46% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 22% | 22% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 10.5% | 5.2% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 27% | 11% | n/a |
In an owner-heavy county like Daviess 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.
What Daviess County households earn
The median household income in Daviess County is $63,984; statewide it is $70,702, so Daviess County runs 10% below Missouri as a whole.
| Yearly household income | Daviess County | Gap to Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 27.1% | +3.5 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 44.1% | +1.7 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 23.1% | -2.2 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 5.7% | -3.0 pts |
The spread is wide: 29% of Daviess County households make $100,000 or more, and 27% make less than $35,000. Census counts 11.4% of Daviess County residents in poverty, against 12.6% across Missouri. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.446 here. For a borrower in Daviess County, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.
Work, industries and travel time in Daviess County
By the Census industry count, 18% of employed Daviess County residents work in education and health care and 17% in retail trade. The sharpest difference from the state is in agriculture, forestry and mining, at 8% locally and 2% for Missouri. ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 1.4% in Daviess County. Long commutes are common here: 25% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. Households without a car make up 9.4% of the total (6.6% statewide).
| Sector | Daviess County | Compared with Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 17.8% | -6.6 pts |
| Retail trade | 16.6% | +5.3 pts |
| Manufacturing | 15.4% | +4.1 pts |
| Construction | 11.7% | +4.9 pts |
| Agriculture, forestry and mining | 7.9% | +6.3 pts |
| Public administration | 6.8% | +2.5 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Neighboring counties at a glance
Caldwell County is closest, 21 miles from center to center; the sixth, Gentry County, is 29 miles off. 2 of the six report a higher median household income than Daviess County; DeKalb County is highest at $69,826 and Grundy County lowest at $51,975.
| County | Miles | Median household income | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daviess County | - | $63,984 | $696/mo | 79% |
| Caldwell County, MO | 21 mi | $64,806 | $640/mo | 78% |
| DeKalb County, MO | 24 mi | $69,826 | $817/mo | 71% |
| Grundy County, MO | 24 mi | $51,975 | $696/mo | 70% |
| Livingston County, MO | 26 mi | $63,627 | $768/mo | 72% |
| Harrison County, MO | 26 mi | $54,367 | $703/mo | 71% |
| Gentry County, MO | 29 mi | $55,848 | $636/mo | 74% |
Cities, towns and CDPs in Daviess County
10 Census places fall mainly inside Daviess County; the 10 biggest are below. They account for 3,948 residents, leaving about 53% of the county in unincorporated, unnamed areas. No Daviess County place has a separate guide yet; this county page serves all 10.
| Place in county | Status | Population (ACS) | Median HH income | Monthly rent | Distance from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallatin | city | 1,740 | $47,198 | $742 | 4 mi |
| Jamesport | city | 709 | $49,583 | $483 | 9 mi |
| Gilman City | city | 382 | $58,438 | $775 | 13 mi |
| Lake Viking | CDP | 311 | $74,250 | n/a | 6 mi |
| Pattonsburg | city | 225 | $44,000 | $638 | 10 mi |
| Winston | village | 192 | $54,375 | $721 | 11 mi |
| Altamont | village | 147 | $45,313 | $725 | 8 mi |
| Jameson | town | 115 | $40,769 | n/a | 3 mi |
| Coffey | city | 78 | $27,500 | n/a | 10 mi |
| Lock Springs | village | 49 | $97,188 | n/a | 13 mi |
CDP: census-designated place, an unincorporated community mapped for statistics.
What a median Daviess County budget can carry
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Daviess County's medians:
- $5,332 a month: gross income for a household at the Daviess County median
- Housing at the median rent of $696 uses 13%
- $1,597: what a 43% ratio leaves once rent is paid
Subtract what you already pay on other debts. A new payment should fit in what remains, with some to spare.
Daviess County residents: age, schooling, coverage
18% of Daviess County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. The uninsured rate is 17.1%, against 8.8% for Missouri.
| Daviess County | Missouri | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.3 | 39.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 18.4% | 32.4% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 15.7% | 8.1% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 17.1% | 8.8% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 9.4% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 13.5% | 13.0% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 11.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 1.4% | 4.0% | 4.4% |
| One-way commute | Share of Daviess County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 33.4% |
| 15 to 29 min | 29.0% |
| 30 to 44 min | 13.0% |
| 45 to 59 min | 7.5% |
| 60+ min | 17.1% |
Local borrowing considerations for Daviess County
Where the Daviess County numbers stand out, and why it matters for a loan:
- Medical bills. 17% of Daviess County residents are uninsured. Before borrowing for care, ask the provider about financial assistance and payment plans.
- Keeping the car running. At 25% with long commutes, repairs are a frequent Daviess County emergency; first decide if the car is worth fixing.
- Getting ready. Gather pay stubs or benefit letters before you apply (checklist).
Missouri rules that apply in Daviess County
No county office licenses personal lenders. For Daviess County, check the Missouri Division of Finance. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. The Missouri guide covers state rules in more detail.
Before you sign
A short checklist for Daviess County borrowers:
- Know the exact dollar figure you need before talking to a lender.
- Compare the total repaid on every offer, not just the payment.
- Confirm the lender is licensed in Missouri.
- Confirm the first due date before setting up autopay.
Related local guides
The Missouri guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Daviess County?
$63,984 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $70,702 for Missouri. It ranks 37th of 115 in the state.
How much is rent in Daviess County?
Median gross rent, utilities included, is $696 a month; 30% of renters spend 30% or more of income on it.
I own my home in Daviess County. Personal loan or HELOC?
A HELOC uses the house as collateral; a personal loan usually does not. With 79% of homes owner-occupied here, many readers can compare both in writing.
I live in a small Daviess County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Gallatin, Jamesport, Gilman City, Lake Viking, Pattonsburg and 5 more.
Are Daviess County applicants treated differently?
No. Everyone answers the same questions and is screened on the same objective points; lending partners set their own criteria under fair-lending laws.