Monroe County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Monroe County, IL 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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A
Health Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Illinois
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A
Income Above averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in Illinois
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 93% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Monroe County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,033 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 87.9 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.50% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,849 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Monroe County grew by 8.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 35,033 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Monroe County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.8% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,239 17.8% -3.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,338 20.9% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,970 22.8% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,242 17.8% +0.9 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 Illinois, 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 50.1% of the people living in Monroe County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.9% Illinois 49.4%
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 A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Monroe County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $103,327 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.41% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Monroe County is about 23% higher than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Monroe County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $208,158 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,042 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.7% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Monroe County is about 16.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,042 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Monroe County spend about 56 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 235 hours, about 9.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Monroe County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.2 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.4 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 235 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,285 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,193 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,682 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Illinois:
Edgar County (12.0 min), Brown County (12.7 min), Morgan County (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Calhoun County (43.8 min), Pulaski County (31.2 min), Pope County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Monroe County is 28 minutes, longer than the 24 minutes in Illinois.
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 B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Monroe County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.3% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.4), Champaign County (0.4), Lake County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hardin County (0.2), Fayette County (0.2), Perry County (0.2).
Health
Monroe County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Monroe County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.6% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.9% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.8), Champaign County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8).
Lowest:
Alexander County (0.8), Pulaski County (0.8), Gallatin County (0.8).
Monroe County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Monroe County, IL is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 35,033 residents against a local median of 229,447. Where Monroe County, IL breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 71% above the local median of $121,433 at $208,158.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $103,327 against a local median of $73,876, 40% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: median household income runs ahead of the neighbourhood while commute runs behind it, so Monroe County, IL is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $128,903 on median home price, so Monroe County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Monroe County, IL has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, IL | 35,033 | $103,327 #1/4 | $208,158 #1/4 | 28.2 min #3/4 |
| St. Clair County, IL | 253,661 | $73,876 | $121,433 | 21.4 min |
| Jefferson County, MO | 229,447 | $82,868 | $178,434 | 30.7 min |
| Randolph County, IL | 30,051 | $69,106 | $49,530 | 18.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Monroe County, Illinois.
How big is Monroe County, Illinois by population?
About 35,033 people live in Monroe County, Illinois, in 13,849 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Monroe County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Monroe County, Illinois has 88 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Monroe County, Illinois an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($208,158 against $103,327), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,042 a month takes about 12% 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, Illinois?
Unemployment in Monroe County, Illinois is only 1.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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