Monroe County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Monroe County, MI 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 72% of counties in Michigan
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 85% of counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Monroe County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 155,488 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 228.6 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.46% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.5 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 63,022 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Monroe County grew by 1.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 155,488 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Monroe County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.1% of residents. That is 1.6 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 30,257 19.5% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 31,349 20.2% -0.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 34,426 22.1% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 29,891 19.2% +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 Michigan, 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 50.5% of the people living in Monroe County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 49.5% Michigan 49.5%
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 B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Monroe County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,773 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.93% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Monroe County is about 7% higher than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Monroe County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $194,999 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,059 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.7% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Monroe County is about 15.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,059 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Monroe County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 196 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Monroe County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.5 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.1 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 196 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,078 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,608 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,198 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Michigan:
Luce County (11.4 min), Dickinson County (12.2 min), Schoolcraft County (12.5 min).
Slowest:
Lapeer County (31.3 min), Lake County (31.1 min), Livingston County (28.6 min).
The average commute time in Monroe County is 24 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Michigan.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Monroe County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Michigan:
Washtenaw County (0.4), Oakland County (0.4), Leelanau County (0.4).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.2), Oscoda County (0.2), Kalkaska County (0.2).
Health
Monroe County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Monroe County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.5% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Michigan:
Washtenaw County (0.8), Ottawa County (0.8), Livingston County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clare County (0.8), Oscoda County (0.8), Lake County (0.8).
Monroe County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Monroe County, MI is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 155,488 residents against a local median of 369,612. The measure that sets Monroe County, MI apart most is median home price: $194,999, 32% above the local median of $147,858.
The counties themselves spread $298,652 on median home price, so Monroe County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Monroe County, MI has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, MI | 155,488 | $77,773 #2/6 | $194,999 #2/6 | 23.5 min #6/6 |
| Lucas County, OH | 427,836 | $62,969 | $115,392 | 18.3 min |
| Wayne County, MI | 1,771,784 | $60,677 | $56,306 | 22.5 min |
| Washtenaw County, MI | 369,612 | $89,172 | $354,959 | 21.2 min |
| Lenawee County, MI | 98,415 | $70,175 | $152,038 | 22.9 min |
| Wood County, OH | 132,059 | $74,345 | $147,858 | 20.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Monroe County, Michigan.
How many people live in Monroe County, Michigan?
About 155,488 people live in Monroe County, Michigan, in 63,022 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Monroe County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Monroe County, Michigan has 229 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Monroe County, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($194,999 against $77,773), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,059 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Monroe County, Michigan have a college degree?
21.0% of adults in Monroe County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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