Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Monticello earns a D−, 104th among Arkansas's 123 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $27K, and 30% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 93% of the country. It also has a long history, with 19 places on the National Register. 30% of residents live below the poverty line in Monticello, above both Arkansas’ towns (17%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 2 of Arkansas’ 201 towns score higher on hazard risk. Its National Register listings include Monticello Confederate Monument and Monticello Post Office.
Where Monticello beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 891 in 1880, 8,442 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
17 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Monticello is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Monticello, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Monticello.
Monticello draws workers from Warren and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the Arkansas rate.
5,202 jobs are based in Monticello, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16.3 minutes, against 22.5 across Arkansas.
46% of Monticello working residents work locally. The top destinations are Little Rock (5%), Pine Bluff (4%) and Warren (4%). The average trip to work in Monticello is 16 minutes.
| Monticello | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 46% | 21% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $27,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Monticello School District. Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Monticello High School, with 506 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Central Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 562 | C− |
| Monticello High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 506 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
Against the 335 U.S. towns with household incomes like Monticello’s, it is healthier than 68%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
46% of adults have obesity in Monticello. Monticello beats the Arkansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 27% of adults worry about having enough food in Monticello.
| Monticello | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 39% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 19% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 41% | 35% |
| What stands out | Monticello | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7% | 8.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16% | 10.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 220 to 145 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Monticello’s violent crime rate is 4.4 per 1,000 residents. Within Arkansas, it does better than 48% of towns.
| Monticello | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.4 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.4 per 1,000 residents | 13.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Monticello home is worth about $161,000, up 0.6% in a year, 28% below the Arkansas typical home. Only 10 of the 123 Arkansas towns we compare have a lower share of households owning their home than Monticello.
| Monticello | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 60% | 73% |
| Median rent | $707 a month | $880 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Monticello has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 34° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
30.1% of residents live below the poverty line, against 16% across Arkansas, which weighs on its D− for jobs and income. The median household earns $27,238, against $60,773 across Arkansas.
Adults 18 to 34 are 29% of residents (22% statewide). Monticello has lost 2.3% of its people since 2020, down to 8,269 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 26% across Arkansas.
| Monticello | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 20% | 25% | 22% |
| Median age | 35.3 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 20% | 29% |
56% women, 44% men
About 79 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.2 points). Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 76% are women (AR 58%).
| Monticello | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 19.2% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.9% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.3% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.2% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.4% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.6% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.3% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.5% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.7% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.4% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.3% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.8% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Monticello.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Monticello | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 0.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. James T. Jordan Municipal Park | — | 19 |
| 2. Burlington Park | — | 11 |
| 3. Boll Weevil Park | 0.1 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Monticello
About 14 of every 100 Monticello residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
17 places in Monticello on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Monticello.
City in Arkansas, United States
Monticello ( MON-tiss-EL-oh) is the county seat of Drew County, Arkansas. As of 2024, it had an estimated population of 8,185. Founded in 1849 in the Arkansas Timberlands near the Arkansas Delta region, the city has long been a commercial, cultural and educational hub for southeast Arkansas. With a historically agriculture- and silviculture-based economy, it has diversified to include growth from the medical sector and the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Monticello grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #104 of 123 in Arkansas. It grades D for health, C− for safety and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within Arkansas, it does better than 48% of towns.
That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($42,824 across the county).
9 notable people were born here, including Hershel W. Gober and John Shirley Wood.
