Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Monroe grades D− overall, ranked 149th of 161 in Louisiana, mostly because of safety and health. It reports more crime per resident than 100% of U.S. towns, including 758 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Residents are less healthy than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. What it does well: natural-hazard risk is low. 36% of residents live below the poverty line in Monroe, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On walkability, just 12 of Louisiana’s 252 towns do better. Its National Register listings include G. B. Cooley House and Bright-Lamkin-Easterling House.
Where Monroe beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Garrett, Isaiah, Law Office
Its 23 National Register listings are more than in 94% of Louisiana towns with a listing.
Census counts: 435 in 1850, 47,702 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1893 and 5 maps from 1935 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Monroe is from typical.
Its grades run from A for hazard risk (better than 89% of comparable towns) to D− for safety (better than 1%), so the D− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Monroe, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Monroe.
Monroe carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Louisiana (mostly inland flooding) and draws workers from Claiborne and beyond, but it reports violent crime at 3 times the Louisiana rate.
Violent crime runs at 16.3 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the Louisiana rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. Property crime runs at 51.7 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the Louisiana rate, most of it theft.
Monroe reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 100% report less. The violent crime rate in Monroe is 16.3 per 1,000 residents. Only 4 of the 53 Louisiana towns we compare have a higher property crime rate than Monroe.
| Monroe | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.3 per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 51.7 per 1,000 residents | 23.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Each of its 3 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its B, Lakeshore highest at A−.
Its public schools are run by the City of Monroe School District. Three of its 29 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sallie Humble Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 579 | A− |
| Neville High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,042 | B+ |
| J.S. Clark Magnet Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 458 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Within Louisiana it is less healthy than 76% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.
38% of adults worry about having enough food in Monroe. Monroe beats the Louisiana average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 49% of adults have high blood pressure in Monroe.
| Monroe | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 26% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 44% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 43% | 35% |
| What stands out | Monroe | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.3% | 16.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.4% | 7.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 23.5% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
37,931 jobs are based in Monroe, 2.3 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.2 minutes, against 25.7 across Louisiana.
52% of Monroe’s working residents work right in town. Monroe’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Monroe fell to 37,931 in 2023, 3,735 fewer than in 2013.
| Monroe | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $41,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 5.6% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its B+ for the outdoors ranks #5 of 162 in Louisiana.
19 miles of trail in 22 parks and preserves. Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, at 1,676 acres with 1.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Monroe | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chenault Park | 6.7 mi | 350 |
| 2. Forsythe Park | 2.3 mi | 99 |
| 3. Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge | 1.9 mi | 1,676 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 96% of Louisiana towns, with expected losses of about $282 per resident a year; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on. 3,469 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 546 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, 3,469 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Monroe. Among 162 Louisiana towns, just 6 have a lower FEMA risk score than Monroe.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Monroe home is worth about $155,000, up 2.9% in a year, 28% below the Louisiana typical home. 48% of Monroe households own their home.
| Monroe | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $886 a month | $992 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
January nights average 35.7°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 89% of Louisiana places with climate records; July afternoons average 93.1°.
Monroe has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Monroe | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 93°F | 92°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 42°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
35.9% of residents live below the poverty line, against 18.9% across Louisiana, which weighs on its D for jobs and income.
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Louisiana average. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 27% across Louisiana.
| Monroe | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35 years | 37.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 26% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 20% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 17% | 18% |
54% women, 46% men
About 87 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.3 points). Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.2, men 33.6.
| Monroe | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.8% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.8% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.3% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.3% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.9% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.4% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.7% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.8% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.7% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.8% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.6% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Monroe. Close and well known come first.
11 mi Ancient siteWatson Brake
39 mi National MonumentPoverty Point National Monument
in town MuseumChennault Aviation and Military Museum
in town GardenBiedenharn Museum and Gardensin town Zoo & aquariumLouisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo
33 mi TheatreDixie Center for the ArtsWatson Brake: Herb Roe, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Poverty Point National Monument: Unknown, Public domain · Chennault Aviation and Military Museum: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biedenharn Museum and Gardens: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dixie Center for the Arts: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Monroe
About 9 of every 100 Monroe residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
2.9% of the town is conserved land, across 22 parks and preserves.
23 places in Monroe on the National Register of Historic Places.
52 notable people were born in Monroe.
City in Louisiana, United States
Monroe is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and is the parish seat and largest city of Ouachita Parish. With a 2020 census-tabulated population of 47,702, it is the principal city of the Monroe metropolitan statistical area, the second-largest metropolitan area in North Louisiana.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Monroe.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D−; West Monroe (D) is closest.
| Town | LA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe | #149 | D− | C | D− | B | D− |
| Lakeshore | #112 | C− | C | — | A− | D− |
| Richwood | #83 | C | B | — | A− | D− |
| West Monroe | #127 | D | C+ | D− | A− | D |
Lakeshore and Richwood report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Monroe with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Monroe grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #149 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades D− for health, D− for safety and B for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3 years of the area's median household income ($51,660 across the Monroe, LA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
52 notable people were born here, including Bill Russell and Ronnie Coleman.
