1st Advantage MortgagePike County households have a median income of $54,989 and median rent of $778 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). Whatever your own numbers, compare written offers on APR, fees and total cost, and verify the lender is licensed in Missouri before sharing details.
On this page
- Pike County, MO: the basics
- Pike County housing compared with Missouri
- Income in Pike County compared with Missouri
- How Pike County residents earn a living
- Counties near Pike County
- Pike County towns compared
- Debt-to-income at Pike County's medians
- Pike County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- Before borrowing in Pike County
- Checklist for Pike County applicants
- Checking a lender's license in Missouri
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Pike County, MO: the basics
Roughly 17,711 residents live in Pike County, Missouri, 61st by population among the state's 115 counties and county equivalents. It covers 670 square miles of land, or about 26 people per square mile. No metropolitan area includes Pike County in the 2023 federal delineation, so its numbers stand on their own rather than as part of a metro. The Census Bureau counts 12 places in the county (10 incorporated, 2 census-designated); the largest is Bowling Green, with about 4,170 residents, or 24% of the county.
Pike County housing compared with Missouri
Renters in Pike County pay a median of $778 a month, 25% below the Missouri figure of $1,033. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 35% of renter households here. With a median value of $146,000, a typical Pike County house costs 2.7 times what the median household earns in a year. The ownership rate is 73%. Half the housing stock was built before 1971.
| Pike County | Missouri | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $778/mo | $1,033/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $146,000 | $230,300 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 73% | 68% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 35% | 46% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 19% | 22% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 16% | 11% | n/a |
In an owner-heavy county like Pike 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.
Income in Pike County compared with Missouri
Pike County households have a median income of $54,989 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 80th of 115 in Missouri.
| Income band | Share in Pike County | Difference from Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 28.3% | +4.7 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 45.8% | +3.3 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 22.4% | -2.9 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 3.6% | -5.1 pts |
The spread is wide: 26% of Pike County households make $100,000 or more, and 28% make less than $35,000. The poverty rate is 16.0%, 3 points higher than the state's 12.6%. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.433 (0 is perfect equality). Income from any regular source can count, including Social Security, pensions and disability benefits, as long as you can document it.
How Pike County residents earn a living
The biggest employer of Pike County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 23% of workers, followed by manufacturing (14%). The sharpest difference from the state is in agriculture, forestry and mining, at 6% locally and 2% for Missouri. ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 3.9% in Pike County. About 81% drive to work alone and 13% have trips of 45 minutes or more. Only 7.4% of homes here go without a vehicle.
| Industry | Share of Pike County workers | vs Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.7% | -1.7 pts |
| Manufacturing | 13.9% | +2.7 pts |
| Construction | 9.9% | +3.1 pts |
| Retail trade | 9.0% | -2.3 pts |
| Public administration | 7.4% | +3.2 pts |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 7.1% | +1.2 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Counties near Pike County
Distances run center to center, from Lincoln County at 22 miles out to Audrain County at 37. Income ranges from $59,448 in Audrain County to $93,203 in Calhoun County; all six of these neighbors top Pike County's median. The list crosses into Illinois, where different lending rules and regulators apply.
| Adjacent area | How far | HH income (median) | Rent (median) | Owner share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | - | $54,989 | $778/mo | 73% |
| Lincoln County, MO | 22 mi | $89,278 | $961/mo | 79% |
| Ralls County, MO | 24 mi | $65,388 | $749/mo | 86% |
| Pike County, IL | 25 mi | $59,777 | $676/mo | 78% |
| Calhoun County, IL | 30 mi | $93,203 | $583/mo | 89% |
| Montgomery County, MO | 32 mi | $65,500 | $788/mo | 73% |
| Audrain County, MO | 37 mi | $59,448 | $693/mo | 72% |
Pike County towns compared
Here are the 12 most populous of the county's 12 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 52% of Pike County residents live in one of the 12. Bowling Green has the highest median household income on the list ($53,295) and Louisiana the lowest ($38,673), counting places with at least 500 residents. No Pike County place has a separate guide yet; this county page serves all 12.
| Place in county | Status | Population (ACS) | Median HH income | Monthly rent | Distance from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | city | 4,170 | $53,295 | $800 | 2 mi |
| Louisiana | city | 3,228 | $38,673 | $645 | 9 mi |
| Frankford | city | 502 | $49,464 | $385 | 13 mi |
| Eolia | village | 449 | $57,500 | $908 | 11 mi |
| Clarksville | city | 402 | $63,000 | $725 | 14 mi |
| Curryville | city | 199 | $50,000 | $850 | 9 mi |
| Annada | village | 74 | $59,091 | n/a | 19 mi |
| Paynesville | village | 64 | $67,917 | n/a | 15 mi |
| Ashley | CDP | 34 | n/a | n/a | 7 mi |
| St. Clement | CDP | 31 | n/a | n/a | 5 mi |
| Tarrants | village | 18 | n/a | n/a | 1 mi |
| Ashburn | town | 0 | n/a | n/a | 14 mi |
Debt-to-income at Pike County's medians
How much room does a median Pike County budget have? Take median income, subtract median rent, and check what is left under a few common debt-to-income limits.
- Start: $4,582 gross per month ($54,989 / 12)
- 17% goes to median rent ($778)
- 40% debt-to-income limit: $1,055 left for all other debt payments
Car, student loan and card payments come out of that room first. Try your own numbers in the calculator.
Pike County residents: age, schooling, coverage
College graduates make up 17% of the adult population. 9.0% of residents have no health coverage.
| Measure | Pike County | Missouri statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.6 | 39.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 16.6% | 32.4% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 12.6% | 8.1% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 9.0% | 8.8% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 7.4% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 13.0% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 16.0% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.9% | 4.0% | 4.4% |
| Minutes to work | Pike County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 39.5% |
| 15 to 29 min | 30.9% |
| 30 to 44 min | 16.2% |
| 45 to 59 min | 5.6% |
| 60+ min | 7.8% |
Before borrowing in Pike County
Based on the Pike County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Mobile home upkeep. 13% of units fall in this category; roof, skirting and HVAC jobs are common reasons to borrow.
- Consolidating cards in Pike County. Compare the total repaid, not the monthly figure (how).
- Scams. A fee demanded before funding is a red flag; report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (spotting scams).
Checklist for Pike County applicants
A short checklist for Pike County borrowers:
- Get a written quote for whatever you are paying for in Pike County.
- Shop at least three lenders, including one Pike County-area credit union.
- Confirm the lender is licensed in Missouri.
- Never pay a fee up front to get a loan.
Checking a lender's license in Missouri
Before sharing details with a lender, a Pike County resident can confirm its license with the Missouri Division of Finance. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. See the Missouri state guide for the statewide picture.
Related local guides
The Missouri guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pike County a high-income county?
Its $54,989 median ranks 80th of 115 Missouri counties and compares with $65,681 for the median U.S. county.
What do renters pay in Pike County?
$778 a month at the median, about 17% of median household income.
Should Pike County homeowners use home equity instead?
Maybe, but weigh the risk: 73% of Pike County homes are owner-occupied, and a home-equity loan or line is secured by the house while a personal loan usually is not.
I live in a small Pike County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Bowling Green, Louisiana, Frankford, Eolia, Clarksville and 7 more.
Are Pike 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.