Population 47,695 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Monroe County
Household size in Monroe County
| Period | Monroe County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.54 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Monroe County has 2.44 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.48, mirroring the country. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the west.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Monroe County
| Period | Monroe County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.1 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.1 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.9 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.7 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Monroe County skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.7, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.1, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Monroe County
| Period | Monroe County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in eight households in Monroe County (13.3%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 2.3 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Monroe County
Renters in Monroe County
| Period | Monroe County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.5% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.4% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.3% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.8% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Monroe County rent their homes (27.8%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 52.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northwest and least common in the south. The renter share is up 2.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Monroe County
| Period | Monroe County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Monroe County is close to the national rate: 9.9% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.3 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Monroe County
| Period | Monroe County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Monroe County is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the northwest has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Monroe County
| Period | Monroe County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $526 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $631 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $667 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $748 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$223 | +$526 | +$606 |
Rent in Monroe County runs $748 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $223 a month from 2006–10, a 42% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.2% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Monroe County
Bachelor's degrees in Monroe County
| Period | Monroe County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.3% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Monroe County: 16.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 5.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Monroe County
| Period | Monroe County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.7% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.2% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.0% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.3% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Monroe County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 12.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Monroe County
| Period | Monroe County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.8 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Monroe County than nationally: unemployment was 4.5%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 6.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Monroe County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 2.44 | 44.7 | 13.3% | 27.8% | 9.9% | 1989 | $748 | 16.3% | 85.3% | 4.5% |
| McMinn County | 2.55 | 43.2 | 12.8% | 24.2% | 12.5% | 1981 | $864 | 18.6% | 87.4% | 5.0% |
| Meigs County | 2.56 | 45.4 | 5.7% | 19.0% | 15.2% | 1994 | $875 | 13.6% | 84.8% | 5.9% |
| Rhea County | 2.50 | 42.2 | 13.2% | 28.5% | 12.4% | 1989 | $903 | 18.6% | 83.4% | 5.2% |
| Bledsoe County | 2.82 | 43.8 | 9.0% | 17.5% | 17.6% | 1991 | $835 | 11.8% | 78.8% | 1.9% |
| Swain County | 2.31 | 41.5 | 15.2% | 27.3% | 27.3% | 1989 | $703 | 21.4% | 86.8% | 7.9% |
| Haywood County | 2.33 | 47.7 | 9.5% | 25.1% | 21.9% | 1980 | $1,069 | 29.6% | 91.3% | 3.3% |
| Warren County | 2.60 | 40.4 | 13.4% | 27.6% | 12.6% | 1980 | $854 | 13.6% | 86.2% | 6.0% |
| Coffee County | 2.62 | 39.2 | 13.3% | 31.0% | 9.6% | 1984 | $954 | 20.9% | 88.4% | 3.7% |
| Buncombe County | 2.70 | 43.5 | 9.2% | 33.8% | 23.3% | 1988 | $1,316 | 45.2% | 92.6% | 4.1% |
| Bedford County | 2.67 | 37.0 | 16.2% | 28.1% | 6.3% | 1991 | $1,083 | 16.8% | 84.9% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Santa Cruz County, AZ · Grundy County, IL · Guayama Municipio, PR · Guernsey County, OH · Habersham County, GA · Halifax County, NC · Hancock County, ME · Hancock County, MS · Hardin County, TX · Harrisonburg City, VA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Monroe County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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