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County profile · Illinois

Alexander County, IL market data

Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in Alexander County, each scored against other counties.

Population, 2025
4,570
−11.6% since 2020
Households
1,904
Median household income
$47,043
Median home value
$59,800
Jobs located here
900
Market scores
Not scored
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Alexander County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Alexander County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

An estimated 4,570 people live in Alexander County, in 1,904 households. Population estimates put the population change in Alexander County from 2020 to 2025 at −11.6%, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median household income in Alexander County is $47,043 a year, 42% below the U.S. median of $80,734.

Set against the U.S., households in Alexander County spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 97, where 100 is the U.S. average, so still below it) and the least on child care and other personal services (53).

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

Alexander County is part of the Cape Girardeau metro area. For its number of households, Alexander County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for sit-down restaurants (20% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for restaurants and cafes (10% above the U.S. rate).

All 56 business types in Alexander County

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.

Every business type in Alexander County, IL, listings, listings per 10,000 households, spending per listing and official establishments
Business typeListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingSpending per listing vs. U.S. (100)Official establishments
Restaurants and cafes23120.8$264K714
Sit-down restaurants1473.5$433K653
Auto repair and car care631.5$294K110Under 3
Salons, barbers and spas631.5$260K122Under 3
Doctors, dentists and clinics526.3$455K299Under 3
Grocery and convenience stores526.3$2M60Under 3
Insurance agencies421.0$698K56Under 3
Clothing and shoe stores315.8$1.1M84Under 3
Clothing, shoes and laundry315.8$1.1M121Under 3
Convenience stores315.8$3.4M43Under 3
Hair salons315.8$521K121Under 3
Spas and skin care315.8$521K59Under 3
Auto repair shops210.5$882KToo fewUnder 3
Gas stations210.5$2.3MToo fewUnder 3
Pizza210.5$3MToo fewUnder 3
Bakeries and dessert shops15.3$6.1MToo fewUnder 3
Child care and preschools15.3$591KToo fewUnder 3
Coffee shops and cafes15.3$6.1MToo fewUnder 3
Fast food and sandwich shops15.3$6.1MToo fewUnder 3
Funeral homes15.3$369KToo fewUnder 3
Grocery stores15.3$10.2MToo fewUnder 3
Home repair trades15.3$4.3MToo fewUnder 3
HVAC and plumbing15.3$4.3MToo fewUnder 3
Barbershops00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Car washes and detailing00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Chiropractors00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Collision repair and body shops00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Dentists and orthodontists00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Dry cleaners00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Electricians00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Gyms00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Gyms, studios and classes00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Home inspectors00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
House cleaning00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Landscaping and lawn care00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Laundromats00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Lawn, cleaning and pest control00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Martial arts and dance studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Mortgage brokers and lenders00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Nail salons00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Oil change and quick lube00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Optometrists and eye care00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pest control00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pet businesses00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pet grooming and boarding00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pet stores00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Physical therapy00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Primary care and pediatrics00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Property management00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Real estate00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Real estate agents and brokers00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Roofing and gutters00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Tire shops00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Urgent care and walk-in clinics00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Veterinarians00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3

Household spending in Alexander County

What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).

Annual household spending in Alexander County, IL by line, per household, and against the U.S.
Spending lineA year, all householdsPer householdIndex vs. U.S. (100)
Vehicle maintenance and repairs$1.8M$92797
Gasoline and other fuels$4.6M$2,42994
Food away from home$6.1M$3,18478
Groceries$10.2M$5,33784
Personal care products and services$1.6M$82182
Child care and other personal services$591K$31053
Memberships, classes and admissions$1.2M$64666
Medical and dental services$2.3M$1,19693
Pets$1.3M$68475
Clothing, shoes and related services$3.2M$1,68382
Vehicle insurance$2.8M$1,46675
Home repairs, maintenance and insurance$4.3M$2,28276
Lawn care, cleaning and other household services$2M$1,04674
Rent and homeowner costs$23.2M$12,18373

Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.

Population and households in Alexander County

Population, 2025 estimate
4,570−11.6% since 2020
Households
1,904
Median age
47.6
Homes lived in by their owners
78%
Vehicles per household
1.7
Land area
235 sq. mi.
People per square mile
21
Median household income
$47,043
Average household income
$68,282
Median home value
$59,800
Jobs located here
900
Daytime population
3,799Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

Looking at a specific site in Alexander County?

These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.

Or open the report at the center of Alexander County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Alexander County is part of the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area.

Questions

How fast is Alexander County, IL growing?

Population estimates put Alexander County at 4,570 people in 2025, down 11.6% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 1,904 households.

How much do households in Alexander County, IL spend?

Households in Alexander County spend about $23.2M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $10.2M on groceries and $6.1M on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in Alexander County runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 97, where 100 is the U.S. average, so still below it) and lowest on child care and other personal services (53).

Which business types have the highest market scores in Alexander County, IL?

The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.

How does Alexander County, IL compare with the U.S.?

Median household income in Alexander County is $47,043, 42% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 11.6% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $59,800, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for sit-down restaurants (20% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for restaurants and cafes (10% above the U.S. rate).

What is the Groundwork market score?

The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Markets with fewer than 5 map listings of the type, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Alexander County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.

All markets in Illinois · Every U.S. market · How we measure

Screening a site or an acquisition in Alexander County?

A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.

The button opens the report at the center of Alexander County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.