Monroe County, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Monroe County, AL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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D
Health Well below averageLess healthy than 89% of counties in Alabama
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 92% of counties in Alabama
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Monroe County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,388 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 18.8 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.55% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.2 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,363 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Monroe County declined by 14.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,388 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Monroe County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.5% of residents. That is 1.6 points above Alabama as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,039 20.8% -0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,419 17.6% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,164 21.5% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,902 20.1% +2.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Alabama, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.3% of the people living in Monroe County and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 48.7% Alabama 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Monroe County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Monroe County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Monroe County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,532 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.24% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.2% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Monroe County is about 34% lower than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | Monroe County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $33,827 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $666 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.7% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Monroe County is about 4.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $666 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Monroe County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Monroe County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.3 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,335 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.4% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,040 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 344 | 1,193 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Alabama:
Pike County (16.4 min), Houston County (18.3 min), Escambia County (18.5 min).
Slowest:
Blount County (33.2 min), Pickens County (32.5 min), Lowndes County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Monroe County is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Alabama.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Monroe County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Monroe County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.2% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.61 | 2.48 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Alabama:
Madison County (0.4), Shelby County (0.3), Lee County (0.3).
Lowest:
Bibb County (0.2), Barbour County (0.2), Wilcox County (0.2).
Health
Monroe County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Monroe County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 28.7% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.6% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Alabama:
Shelby County (0.8), Lee County (0.8), Baldwin County (0.8).
Lowest:
Greene County (0.7), Wilcox County (0.7), Perry County (0.7).
Monroe County, AL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Monroe County, AL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, AL | 19,388 | $42,532 #3/3 | $33,827 #3/3 | 20.6 min #2/3 |
| Clarke County, AL | 22,543 | $48,885 | $55,384 | 20.8 min |
| Escambia County, AL | 36,629 | $48,221 | $183,962 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Monroe County, Alabama.
How many people live in Monroe County, Alabama?
About 19,388 people live in Monroe County, Alabama, in 7,363 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 42.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Monroe County, Alabama urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Monroe County, Alabama has 19 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 22% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Monroe County, Alabama?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($33,827 against $42,532), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $666 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Monroe County, Alabama?
Unemployment in Monroe County, Alabama is 10.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Monroe County, Alabama have a college degree?
12.2% of adults in Monroe County, Alabama hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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