Monroe County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Monroe County, PA 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 80% of counties in Pennsylvania
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Monroe County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 167,515 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 271.7 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.03% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.2 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 59,864 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Monroe County declined by 2.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 167,515 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Monroe County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.7% of residents. That is 3.1 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 35,377 21.1% +1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 31,799 19.0% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 39,647 23.7% +3.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 31,690 18.9% -0.1 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 Pennsylvania, 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 50.2% of the people living in Monroe County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 49.8% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Monroe County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $83,939 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.54% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Monroe County is about 7% higher than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Monroe County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $233,093 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,392 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.2% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Monroe County is about 14.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,392 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Monroe County spend about 57 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 239 hours, about 10.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Monroe County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.7 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 57.4 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 239 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,412 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.4% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,165 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,300 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Cameron County (11.4 min), Elk County (15.4 min), McKean County (15.9 min).
Slowest:
Pike County (32.5 min), Perry County (32.0 min), Carbon County (30.5 min).
The average commute time in Monroe County is 29 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Pennsylvania.
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 | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.9% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.69 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Chester County (0.4), Montgomery County (0.4), Allegheny County (0.4).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.1), Mifflin County (0.2), Juniata County (0.2).
Health
Monroe County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Monroe County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.8 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.1% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.9% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Montgomery County (0.8), Centre County (0.8), Chester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.8), Mifflin County (0.8), Jefferson County (0.8).
Monroe County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Monroe County, PA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 167,515 residents against a local median of 110,807. Monroe County, PA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 9% above the local median at $233,093 against $213,097. Monroe County, PA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, PA | 167,515 | $83,939 #3/6 | $233,093 #3/6 | 28.7 min #3/6 |
| Northampton County, PA | 318,250 | $90,012 | $213,097 | 21.9 min |
| Carbon County, PA | 65,382 | $67,568 | $56,943 | 30.5 min |
| Warren County, NJ | 110,807 | $100,835 | $257,078 | 30.8 min |
| Pike County, PA | 60,618 | $81,806 | $264,463 | 32.5 min |
| Lackawanna County, PA | 216,127 | $66,702 | $127,976 | 17.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
How big is Monroe County, Pennsylvania by population?
About 167,515 people live in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, in 59,864 households of 2.7 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, Pennsylvania urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Monroe County, Pennsylvania has 272 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.1 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Monroe County, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($233,093 against $83,939), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,392 a month takes about 20% 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, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Monroe County, Pennsylvania is 6.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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