Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
A $186,000 home here costs
$1,515per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $956. The real number is $559 higher every month — 58% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Cape Girardeau against Cape Girardeau County and Missouri
| Measure | Cape Girardeau | Cape Girardeau County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $186,100 | $208,300 |
| Median property tax | $1,395 | $1,404 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.750% | 0.674% |
| Median gross rent | $855 | $881 |
| Population | 40,047 | 82,180 |
Cape Girardeau extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Cape Girardeau County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Cape Girardeau sits in Cape Girardeau County, which averages a high of 90.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 23.7°F in its coldest, with 50.49" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,592 cooling and 4,499 heating degree days, which is what sets the $123 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cape Girardeau County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cape Girardeau County
Full Cape Girardeau County cost breakdown · Every county in Missouri
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Cape Girardeau?
A $186,000 home in Cape Girardeau, Missouri costs approximately $1,515 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $956 principal and interest, $116 property tax, $97 homeowners insurance, $191 utilities and $155 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Cape Girardeau?
Cape Girardeau has an effective property tax rate of 0.750%, based on a median home value of $186,100 and median real estate taxes of $1,395. That is higher than the Cape Girardeau County average of 0.674%.
What is the average home price in Cape Girardeau?
The median owner-occupied home value in Cape Girardeau, Missouri is $186,100, against $208,300 across Cape Girardeau County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Cape Girardeau?
Median gross rent in Cape Girardeau is $855 a month, against $1,515 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Cape Girardeau — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Missouri.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.