Recently released data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows St. Louis County with the highest per capita income in Missouri. With a per capita income of $46,207, the county was nearly $15,000 higher than the state average of $31,231.
The six other counties above the state average were: Platte ($36,899), Cole ($33,672), Jackson ($33,585), St. Charles ($33,530), Clay ($33,194), and Boone ($31,519).
DeKalb County, at $17,740, had the lowest per capita income. The six other counties which were below $20,000 were: Hickory ($18,597), Shannon ($18,654), Wright ($19,151), Ozark ($19,797), Schuyler ($19,891), and Oregon ($19,964).
Per capita personal income is calculated as the personal income of residents of a given area divided by the resident population of the area. In computing per capita personal income, BEA uses the Census Bureau's annual midyear population estimates.
| County | 2005 Per Capita Personal Income | County | 2005 Per Capita Personal Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ten Highest Counties | Ten Lowest Counties | ||
| $46,207 | DeKalb | $17,740 | |
| $36,899 | $18,597 | ||
| Cole | $33,672 | $18,654 | |
| $33,585 | Wright | $19,151 | |
| $33,530 | Ozark | $19,797 | |
| Clay | $33,194 | Schuyler | $19,891 |
| Boone | $31,519 | $19,964 | |
| Greene | $30,371 | $20,131 | |
| Pulaski | $30,161 | $20,136 | |
| $29,392 | Ripley | $20,232 | |
Statewide per capita income rose by 3.8 percent from $30,081 in 2004 to $31,231 in 2005. The largest increase occurred in Pulaski County at 11.4 percent, with an increase of $3,077.
| County | 2004 Per Capita Personal Income | 2005 Per Capita Personal Income | Percent Change, 2004-05 |
County | 2004 Per Capita Personal Income | 2005 Per Capita Personal Income | Percent Change, 2004-05 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten Largest Growth Counties | Ten Smallest Growth Counties | ||||||
| Pulaski | $27,084 | $30,161 | 11.40% | Knox | $24,553 | $21,923 | -10.70% |
| Reynolds | $21,005 | $22,998 | 9.50% | Ralls | $25,641 | $23,526 | -8.20% |
| $18,959 | $20,136 | 6.20% | $24,964 | $22,913 | -8.20% | ||
| Dent | $20,988 | $22,288 | 6.20% | $22,603 | $20,963 | -7.30% | |
| Adair | $21,297 | $22,539 | 5.80% | Mercer | $26,323 | $24,672 | -6.30% |
| Iron | $20,991 | $22,209 | 5.80% | $22,867 | $21,813 | -4.60% | |
| $43,759 | $46,207 | 5.60% | $27,023 | $25,874 | -4.30% | ||
| Stone | $24,585 | $25,946 | 5.50% | $22,255 | $21,363 | -4.00% | |
| $19,295 | $20,351 | 5.50% | Carroll | $24,071 | $23,160 | -3.80% | |
| Laclede | $22,227 | $23,393 | 5.20% | $25,426 | $24,701 | -2.90% | |
Eleven counties had a five percent or higher increase in per capita income from 2004 to 2005. Twenty-three counties had a decrease, a distinction from the previous year when all counties experienced an increase. The largest decrease occurred in Knox County at -10.7 percent, and a numerical decrease of $2,630.
The counties to the south of St. Louis tended to have larger percentage increases.
| County | 2004 Per Capita Personal Income | 2005 Per Capita Personal Income | Percent Change, 2004-05 | County | 2004 Per Capita Personal Income | 2005 Per Capita Personal Income | Percent Change, 2004-05 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,081 | $31,231 | 3.80% | Linn | $23,808 | $24,140 | 1.40% | |
| Adair | $21,297 | $22,539 | 5.80% | $25,855 | $26,171 | 1.20% | |
| Andrew | $28,223 | $29,104 | 3.10% | $24,160 | $24,231 | 0.30% | |
| $27,023 | $25,874 | -4.30% | $20,107 | $21,081 | 4.80% | ||
| Audrain | $23,591 | $23,785 | 0.80% | Maries | $23,082 | $23,665 | 2.50% |
| Barry | $22,847 | $23,557 | 3.10% | $24,583 | $25,398 | 3.30% | |
| Barton | $22,700 | $22,108 | -2.60% | McDonald | $21,244 | $21,717 | 2.20% |
| Bates | $25,051 | $25,285 | 0.90% | Mercer | $26,323 | $24,672 | -6.30% |
| $21,202 | $21,804 | 2.80% | Miller | $20,891 | $21,758 | 4.20% | |
| Bollinger | $20,265 | $21,024 | 3.70% | $21,621 | $21,389 | -1.10% | |
| Boone | $30,192 | $31,519 | 4.40% | Moniteau | $24,076 | $24,376 | 1.20% |
| Buchanan | $26,522 | $27,596 | 4.00% | $22,255 | $21,363 | -4.00% | |
| $25,976 | $26,613 | 2.50% | $24,809 | $25,189 | 1.50% | ||
| $24,924 | $25,705 | 3.10% | Morgan | $23,768 | $24,165 | 1.70% | |
| Callaway | $22,963 | $23,513 | 2.40% | New Madrid | $23,469 | $23,807 | 1.40% |
| $26,862 | $28,084 | 4.50% | $25,432 | $25,950 | 2.00% | ||
| $27,975 | $28,844 | 3.10% | Nodaway | $22,157 | $22,205 | 0.20% | |
| Carroll | $24,071 | $23,160 | -3.80% | $19,025 | $19,964 | 4.90% | |
| Carter | $21,700 | $22,721 | 4.70% | Osage | $27,027 | $27,741 | 2.60% |
| Cass | $28,097 | $28,932 | 3.00% | Ozark | $18,933 | $19,797 | 4.60% |
| Cedar | $20,800 | $21,060 | 1.30% | Pemiscot | $22,470 | $23,102 | 2.80% |
| $25,426 | $24,701 | -2.90% | Perry | $24,150 | $24,676 | 2.20% | |
| Christian | $24,313 | $25,195 | 3.60% | Pettis | $25,423 | $26,004 | 2.30% |
| $22,867 | $21,813 | -4.60% | Phelps | $25,150 | $26,020 | 3.50% | |
| Clay | $32,270 | $33,194 | 2.90% | Pike | $21,826 | $21,568 | -1.20% |
| $27,019 | $27,972 | 3.50% | $36,047 | $36,899 | 2.40% | ||
| Cole | $32,630 | $33,672 | 3.20% | Polk | $20,869 | $21,896 | 4.90% |
| Cooper | $23,232 | $23,351 | 0.50% | Pulaski | $27,084 | $30,161 | 11.40% |
| Crawford | $24,276 | $25,415 | 4.70% | Putnam | $20,693 | $20,894 | 1.00% |
| Dade | $23,474 | $22,912 | -2.40% | Ralls | $25,641 | $23,526 | -8.20% |
| $22,382 | $23,506 | 5.00% | $23,642 | $24,101 | 1.90% | ||
| Daviess | $22,686 | $22,394 | -1.30% | Ray | $27,415 | $28,249 | 3.00% |
| DeKalb | $17,335 | $17,740 | 2.30% | Reynolds | $21,005 | $22,998 | 9.50% |
| Dent | $20,988 | $22,288 | 6.20% | Ripley | $19,533 | $20,232 | 3.60% |
| $18,959 | $20,136 | 6.20% | Saline | $26,665 | $26,297 | -1.40% | |
| Dunklin | $23,307 | $24,116 | 3.50% | Schuyler | $19,760 | $19,891 | 0.70% |
| $28,247 | $29,392 | 4.10% | $22,603 | $20,963 | -7.30% | ||
| $24,637 | $25,412 | 3.10% | Scott | $25,108 | $26,082 | 3.90% | |
| Gentry | $24,605 | $24,735 | 0.50% | $18,051 | $18,654 | 3.30% | |
| Greene | $29,209 | $30,371 | 4.00% | $24,964 | $22,913 | -8.20% | |
| Grundy | $22,401 | $22,877 | 2.10% | $32,300 | $33,530 | 3.80% | |
| $21,763 | $21,664 | -0.50% | St. Clair | $20,699 | $20,949 | 1.20% | |
| Henry | $24,233 | $25,180 | 3.90% | $21,657 | $22,405 | 3.50% | |
| $18,178 | $18,597 | 2.30% | $43,759 | $46,207 | 5.60% | ||
| Holt | $24,604 | $24,034 | -2.30% | $26,201 | $27,027 | 3.20% | |
| Howard | $25,820 | $25,691 | -0.50% | Ste. Genevieve | $23,804 | $24,963 | 4.90% |
| Howell | $21,694 | $22,463 | 3.50% | Stoddard | $24,069 | $24,443 | 1.60% |
| Iron | $20,991 | $22,209 | 5.80% | Stone | $24,585 | $25,946 | 5.50% |
| $32,262 | $33,585 | 4.10% | Sullivan | $25,038 | $24,748 | -1.20% | |
| Jasper | $24,764 | $25,557 | 3.20% | Taney | $24,197 | $24,828 | 2.60% |
| $26,586 | $27,827 | 4.70% | $19,335 | $20,131 | 4.10% | ||
| Johnson | $23,651 | $24,573 | 3.90% | $24,026 | $23,853 | -0.70% | |
| Knox | $24,553 | $21,923 | -10.70% | $26,685 | $27,478 | 3.00% | |
| Laclede | $22,227 | $23,393 | 5.20% | $19,295 | $20,351 | 5.50% | |
| $28,542 | $29,023 | 1.70% | $20,164 | $20,828 | 3.30% | ||
| $21,115 | $21,576 | 2.20% | Webster | $20,329 | $21,063 | 3.60% | |
| Lewis | $20,983 | $20,809 | -0.80% | Worth | $21,337 | $21,243 | -0.40% |
| $24,190 | $25,119 | 3.80% | Wright | $18,450 | $19,151 | 3.80% |
