Monroe County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Monroe County, TN 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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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 70% of counties in Tennessee
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Monroe County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,695 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 73.0 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.60% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.2 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,714 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Monroe County grew by 7.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 47,695 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Monroe County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.2% of residents. That is 1.9 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,061 19.0% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,803 18.5% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,586 22.2% +1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,412 21.8% +4.5 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 Tennessee, 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% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.9% Tennessee 49.1%
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,619 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.55% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Monroe County is about 19% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Monroe County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $279,032 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $714 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.2% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Monroe County is about 32.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $714 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Monroe County spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 212 hours, about 8.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Monroe County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.5 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 50.9 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 212 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,575 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,750 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 494 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Monroe County is 25 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.5% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Monroe County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Monroe County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.1 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.4% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.4% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Monroe County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Monroe County, TN is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 47,695 residents against a local median of 56,732. The measure that sets Monroe County, TN apart most is median home price: $279,032, 56% above the local median of $178,480.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 25.5 min against a local median of 21.3 min, 20% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Monroe County, TN reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread $191,897 on median home price, so Monroe County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Monroe County, TN has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, TN | 47,695 | $56,619 #4/5 | $279,032 #2/5 | 25.5 min #5/5 |
| Loudon County, TN | 58,580 | $84,040 | $143,103 | 22.0 min |
| Cherokee County, NC | 29,563 | $54,386 | $210,710 | 20.5 min |
| McMinn County, TN | 54,884 | $60,991 | $146,249 | 20.6 min |
| Blount County, TN | 139,333 | $78,165 | $334,999 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Monroe County, Tennessee.
How big is Monroe County, Tennessee by population?
About 47,695 people live in Monroe County, Tennessee, in 19,714 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 45.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
How densely populated is Monroe County, Tennessee?
Averaged over its land area, Monroe County, Tennessee has 73 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Monroe County, Tennessee an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.9 times the median household income ($279,032 against $56,619), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $714 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Monroe County, Tennessee have a college degree?
14.5% of adults in Monroe County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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