Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety3#892/924
Economy8#852/925
Housing32#628/925
Health8#852/925
Healthcare68#296/923
Environment29#655/917
Education35#604/925
Infrastructure3#894/925
Community26#689/925
Leisure & amenities45#506/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Monroe, LA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Pharmacies · high3.4 /10k
99/100Louisiana 2.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · low23.2%
94/100Louisiana 29.5%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Job growth · high2.0%
90/100Louisiana -0.5%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Mental health providers · high523 /100k
88/100Louisiana 365 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.48%
87/100Louisiana 0.55%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
New business applications · high16.9 /1k
87/100Louisiana 16.4 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Property crime rate · high3,549 /100k
0/100Louisiana 1,966 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2023Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from countiesCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figure
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.515
2/100Louisiana 0.495United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Child poverty rate · high35.1%
3/100Louisiana 25.0%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Poverty rate · high24.5%
3/100Louisiana 18.6%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Rent as share of income · high34.7%
4/100Louisiana 32.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Homicide rate · high14.4 /100k
4/100Louisiana 11.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
19% (2021) → 62% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+42 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
67.5% (2015-2019) → 80.3% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
35.1 /100k (2021) → 16.9 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−52%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.7 /10k (2020) → 0.9 /10k (2025)
+43%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
43.6% (2019) → 36.2% (2023)
−7.4 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
Preventable hospital staysImproving
5,942 /100k (2019) → 3,900 /100k (2023)
−34%4 yearsUS 3,767 /100k → 2,769 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Monroe, LA metro area improved on 15 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 9 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

Pharmacies+25%2.7 /10k → 3.4 /10k
Restaurants+18%7.0 /10k → 8.2 /10k
Uninsured−2.5 points11.2% → 8.7%
Gyms+43%0.7 /10k → 0.9 /10k
Firearm deaths−31%29.7 /100k → 20.5 /100k

Declined4

Libraries−11%1.0 /10k → 0.9 /10k
Commute+1.4 min22.0 min → 23.5 min
Grocery stores−10%1.5 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Traffic deaths+24%17.9 /100k → 22.1 /100k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Monroe, LA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.2 /10k2020	3.8 /10k2025	+17%	Improved	70%
Average commute time	22.0 min2015-2019	23.5 min2020-2024	+1.4 min	Declined	22%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.0%2015-2019	24.6%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Improved	46%
Broadband subscriptions	67.5%2015-2019	80.3%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	83%
Child poverty rate	36.2%2015-2019	35.1%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Distance to an airport	119 mi2020	119 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	11%
Drug overdose deaths	19.4 /100k2020	16.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−13%	Improved	38%
Effective property tax rate	0.44%2015-2019	0.48%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Firearm deaths	29.7 /100k2020	20.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−31%	Improved	92%
Grocery stores	1.5 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−10%	Declined	23%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+43%	Improved	86%
High school diploma or higher	85.5%2015-2019	87.0%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Home price to income ratio	3.2×2015-2019	3.3×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	88%
Homicide rate	18.2 /100k2020	14.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−21%	Improved	45%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,8182019	$61,4702024	+34%	Improved	66%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5172015-2019	0.5152020-2024	−0.002	Within the margin of error	62%
Median household income	$40,1192015-2019	$51,6602020-2024	+29%	Improved	59%
New business applications	15.6 /1k2020	16.9 /1k2025	+7.9%	Improved	8%
Pharmacies	2.7 /10k2020	3.4 /10k2025	+25%	Improved	96%
Poverty rate	24.3%2015-2019	24.5%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Public libraries	1.0 /10k2019	0.9 /10k2024	−11%	Declined	10%
Public transit commuters	0.9%2015-2019	0.7%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Rent as share of income	33.3%2015-2019	34.7%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Rent-burdened households	57.4%2015-2019	57.5%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Restaurants and bars	7.0 /10k2020	8.2 /10k2025	+18%	Improved	91%
Suicide rate	16.1 /100k2020	13.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−16%	Improved	83%
Traffic deaths	17.9 /100k2015-2019	22.1 /100k2020-2024	+24%	Declined	24%
Unemployment rate	8.1%2020	4.8%2025	−3.3 points	Improved	59%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.2%2015-2019	8.7%2020-2024	−2.5 points	Improved	90%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Monroe, LA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Monroe, LA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Monroe, LA metro area itself moved +1.7 points in standing on average over the same 28 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

223,674 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

87,006 households (±804)

Monroe, LA metro area
United States share

Under $25k28%24,233
$25k–50k21%18,315
$50k–75k15%13,048

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

87,006 households (±804)

Monroe, LA metro area
United States share

Own64%55,646
Rent36%31,360

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

92,358 workers (±1,524)

Monroe, LA metro area
United States share

Drive alone80%73,908
Carpool9.1%8,444
Public transit0.7%†613

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Monroe, LA employ 23,400 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Monroe, LA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides4,530 jobs	4,530	$21,720US $35,800	−39%	1.87×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand2,830 jobs	2,830	$35,260US $40,240	−12%	1.71×
Retail Salespersons2,350 jobs	2,350	$27,710US $35,410	−22%	1.07×
Registered Nurses2,340 jobs	2,340	$78,270US $97,550	−20%	1.23×
Cashiers2,330 jobs	2,330	$24,490US $32,880	−26%	1.34×
Fast Food and Counter Workers2,060 jobs	2,060	$21,550US $31,200	−31%	0.95×
Office Clerks, General2,060 jobs	2,060	$30,280US $45,010	−33%	1.48×
General and Operations Managers1,740 jobs	1,740	$94,240US $105,770	−11%	0.88×
Food Preparation Workers1,630 jobs	1,630	$22,430US $35,320	−36%	3.25×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners1,530 jobs	1,530	$28,120US $36,840	−24%	1.23×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Monroe, LA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Monroe, LA has 5,399 employer establishments, 242 for every 10,000 residents (0.98× the US rate of 248), with 74,718 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,158. The Census Bureau also counts 20,101 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 5,399; 20,101 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 242; US 248
Paid employees: 74,718
Average annual pay: $46,158; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Monroe, LA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	605	27.2	1.30×More than typical	6,783	$53,133	987
Restaurants and other eating places	311	14	0.76×Fewer than typical	6,504	$18,480	106
Specialty trade contractors	297	13.3	0.86×About typical	2,896	$55,393	1,296
Lessors of real estate	249	11.2	0.91×About typical	748	$41,115	1,728
Religious organizations	230	10.3	1.86×More than typical	1,813	$21,335	—
Offices of physicians	207	9.3	1.43×More than typical	2,009	$87,720	177
Legal services	164	7.4	1.37×More than typical	678	$47,897	—
Limited-service restaurants	156	7	0.87×About typical	3,733	$17,223	31
Offices of other health practitioners	153	6.9	1.13×About typical	969	$37,775	392
Building equipment contractors	135	6.1	1.01×About typical	1,652	$55,708	273
Services to buildings and dwellings	133	6	0.89×About typical	1,357	$32,130	2,095
Gasoline stations	128	5.7	1.77×More than typical	1,065	$22,367	12

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 222,777 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $68.8M on contracts performed in Monroe, LA metro area: $309 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $68.8M; −21% vs FY2025
Per resident: $309; US $1,994
Sole-source: 4.9%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.2%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Internal Revenue Service$41.5M60%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$8.9M13%
Departmental Offices$7.8M11%
Defense Logistics Agency$4.5M6.5%
U.S. Coast Guard$2.7M4.0%
Department of the Army$2.1M3.0%
Department of Veterans Affairs$330.3K0.5%
Federal Prison Industries / Unicor$262.2K0.4%

Top recipients

COAST PROFESSIONAL, INC.$41.5M60%
CITY OF FAITH PRISON MINISTRIES$8.8M13%
EVERGREEN FLYING SERVICE INC$7.8M11%
ROBERTSON PRODUCE OF MONROE, LLC$4.5M6.5%
ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HEALTH CONSULTING SERVICES, INC.$2.7M4.0%

Spending by fiscal year

65.5MFY2017
132.8MFY2018
116.5MFY2019
159.9MFY2020
101.4MFY2021
41.3MFY2022
58.9MFY2023
62.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Activities related to credit intermediation · 5223$41.5M60%
Other residential care facilities · 6239$8.8M13%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$7.8M11%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$4.5M6.5%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$2.7M4.0%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$2.1M3.0%

Part of this section could not be loaded in time.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.4B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Monroe, LA metro area: $6,387 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.4B; −2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,387; US $12,955
Loan face value: $53.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$713.1M50%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$132.6M9.3%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$129M9.1%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$109.8M7.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$87.9M6.2%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$30.5M2.1%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$29.3M2.1%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$17.8M1.3%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT LOUISIANA D$71M5.0%
BATON ROUGE, LA
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT MONROE$22.2M1.6%
MONROE, LA
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF MONROE INC, THE$22M1.5%
MONROE, LA
LOUISIANA DELTA COMMUNITY COLLEGE$13.8M1.0%
MONROE, LA
INNOVATIVE NETWORK OF KNOWLEDGE

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1B73%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$155.4M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$71M5.0%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$32.1M2.3%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$30.1M

Assistance by fiscal year

1.6BFY2021
1.6BFY2022
1.6BFY2023
1.4BFY2024
1.4BFY2025
1.4BFY2026

County aggregates

85%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Monroe, LA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MonroePrincipal city47,004

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Louisiana

Areas based in Louisiana, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M33740

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Monroe, LA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Monroe, LA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Louisiana

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

What was bought