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Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Cape Girardeau is a city located in the county of the same name in Missouri, 100 miles south of Saint Louis. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 35,349.

The city is named after Jean Baptiste Girardot, a French soldier who established a temporary trading post in the area around 1733. The town of Cape Girardeau was incorporated in 1808, prior to Missouri statehood, and was reincorporated as a city in 1843. The advent of the steamboat in 1835 led it to become the biggest port on the Mississippi River between Saint Louis and Memphis.

Trivia

• The city is home to Southeast Missouri State University.
• Talk-radio star Rush Limbaugh was born to a prominent family of lawyers in Cape Girardeau.
• Since 1964 the city has been protected by a floodwall which saved the city from the Great Flood of 1993. A 500-foot span of the wall is covered with a mural now known as the Missouri Wall of Fame.

Geography

Cape Girardeau is located at 37°18'33" North, 89°32'47" West (37.309042, -89.546498)¹.

The city has a total area of 26.4 mi² (16,875 acres or 68.4 km²).

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 35,349 people, 14,380 households, and 8,297 families residing in the city. The population density is 562.4/km² (1,456.5/mi²). There are 15,827 housing units at an average density of 251.8/km² (652.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 87.32% White, 9.30% African American, 1.13% Asian, 0.39% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 14,380 households out of which 25.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% are married couples living together, 10.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% are non-families. 33.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.24 and the average family size is 2.90.

In the city the population is spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 18.4% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $32,452, and the median income for a family is $43,917. Males have a median income of $31,575 versus $21,392 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,918. 15.2% of the population and 8.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 16.5% are under the age of 18 and 8.6% are 65 or older.