Monroe County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Monroe County, MS Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below averageHealthier than 77% of counties in Mississippi
-
D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 72% of counties in Mississippi
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Monroe County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,747 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 43.7 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.81% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.1 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,895 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Monroe County declined by 9.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,747 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Monroe County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 20.2% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,597 19.5% -2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,523 19.3% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,784 20.1% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,826 20.2% +2.4 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 Mississippi, 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 52.1% of the people living in Monroe County and men 47.9%.
- Women 52.1% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 47.9% Mississippi 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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,586 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.89% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Monroe County is about 9% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Monroe County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $215,625 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $768 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.3% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Monroe County is about 23.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $768 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Monroe County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 188 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Monroe County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.5 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.1 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 188 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,821 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,607 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 525 | 914 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Mississippi:
Sharkey County (11.9 min), Coahoma County (13.2 min), Leflore County (15.2 min).
Slowest:
Wilkinson County (36.8 min), Tate County (32.8 min), Greene County (32.7 min).
The average commute time in Monroe County is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Mississippi.
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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.1% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.4), Lafayette County (0.3), Oktibbeha County (0.3).
Lowest:
Issaquena County (0.1), Tallahatchie County (0.2), Greene County (0.2).
Health
Monroe County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Monroe County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.7% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.0% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.8), Lafayette County (0.8), Oktibbeha County (0.8).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7), Sharkey County (0.7).
Monroe County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Monroe County, MS is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 33,747 residents against a local median of 57,838. Where Monroe County, MS breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 32% above the local median of $162,980 at $215,625.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 22.5 min against a local median of 18.4 min, 22% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 22% above the local median it puts Monroe County, MS at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $110,260 on median home price, so Monroe County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Monroe County, MS has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, MS | 33,747 | $51,586 #4/4 | $215,625 #2/4 | 22.5 min #3/4 |
| Itawamba County, MS | 24,036 | $57,203 | $242,646 | 25.1 min |
| Lowndes County, MS | 57,838 | $53,630 | $132,386 | 18.1 min |
| Lee County, MS | 83,034 | $68,266 | $162,980 | 18.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Monroe County, Mississippi.
How many people live in Monroe County, Mississippi?
About 33,747 people live in Monroe County, Mississippi, in 13,895 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Monroe County, Mississippi mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Monroe County, Mississippi has 44 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 51% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Monroe County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 4.2 times the median household income ($215,625 against $51,586), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $768 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Monroe County, Mississippi have a college degree?
15.1% of adults in Monroe County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →