Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Monticello earns a D−, 592nd among Florida's 634 graded towns, mostly because of schools and health. Its public schools trail 97% of Florida towns on state tests and graduation. Residents are less healthy than 85% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. It also has a long history, with 12 places on the National Register. 23% of residents live below the poverty line in Monticello, above both the Florida town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 7 of Florida’s 779 towns score higher on history.
Where Monticello beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Wirick-Simmons House| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Turning Point | 6–12 | 32 |
| Jefferson Virtual Instruction Program | 6–12 | — |
| Jefferson Virtual Franchise | K–12 | — |
Its founding year, 1827, comes before those of 95% of the Florida towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 329 in 1850, 2,589 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 2 maps from 1963 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), 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 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Monticello.
Monticello has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Florida; it also is a long drive from an emergency room and has poverty well above the Florida rate.
Its public schools are run by the Jefferson school district. One of its 4 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turning PointLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 32 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
The nearest emergency room, Archbold Memorial Hospital, is 20.5 miles away in a straight line. Against the 4,456 U.S. towns with household incomes like Monticello’s, it is less healthy than 54%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
49% of Monticello adults have high blood pressure. Monticello beats the Florida average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 18% of Monticello adults have diabetes.
| Monticello | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Monticello | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.9% | 14.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.5% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Monticello 5 Se weather station, 6 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 262 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 94% of Florida places with climate records. January nights average 40.5°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 93% of Florida places with climate records; July afternoons average 91.3°.
The July high in Monticello is 91°F. Monticello has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Monticello | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 41°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jefferson County Recreation Park | — | 6 |
| 2. Jordan Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Monticello for work: only 8% work in town. Monticello’s median household income is $46,000. The top destinations are Tallahassee (35%), Jacksonville (2%) and Thomasville (2%).
| Monticello | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
72.2% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 60.1% across Florida. The median property tax bill is $1,324, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Only 8 of the 630 Florida towns we compare have a lower median rent than Monticello. The typical Monticello home is worth about $314,000, up 4% in a year, 16% below the Florida typical home.
| Monticello | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $799 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
23.3% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.6% across Florida, which weighs on its C− for jobs and income.
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (21% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (21% statewide). Monticello has grown 7% since 2020, to 2,767 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 24% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Monticello.
| Monticello | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.2 years | 42.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 31% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 20% | 20% | 22% |
56% women, 44% men
About 80 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5.2 points). Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Monticello | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.7% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.5% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.8% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.2% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.1% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.1% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.1% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.5% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.8% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.3% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.6% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.7% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,800, single groups can be off by several points
None within 15 miles of Monticello; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Monticello residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
10 places in Monticello on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Monticello.
City in Florida, United States
Monticello ( MON-tiss-EL-oh) is the only city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Monticello, the estate of the county's namesake, Thomas Jefferson, on which the Jefferson County Courthouse was modeled. The population was 2,589 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Tallahassee metropolitan area. Monticello is home to Indian mounds and many historic buildings, including the Perkins Opera House and Monticello Old Jail Museum.
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 #592 of 634 in Florida. It grades C− for health and D− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
12 notable people were born here, including Colin Kelly and Benjamin E. Russell.
