Monroebirdge2, 2008
Monroe’s story
226 years in pictures
Census counts: 260 in 1840, a peak of 305 in 1900, 118 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1871 and 6 maps from 1886 on.
- 1800Monroe is settled
MonroeMA
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
115
2025 Census estimate · −1.7% since 2020
Median home value
$165K
Census ACS
Median age
60.2
years
Jobs based here
11
A commuter town
Is Monroe a good place to live?
Monroe’s average trip to work is 56 minutes, against 30 minutes in Massachusetts’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. No town among the 284 in Massachusetts we compare has a higher share of residents below the poverty line than Monroe. 44% of the land in Monroe is conserved, against 19% in Massachusetts’ towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Monroe State Forest, at 2,626 acres with 10.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Monroe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Monroe stand out
Where Monroe beats most towns.
Small town
115 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
RoweFloridaMonroe
Nearby attractions
All 111 attractions →Mount Greylock and 61 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Monroe. Close and well known come first.
11 mi MountainMount Greylock
12 mi MuseumClark Art Institute
7 mi MuseumMassachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
31 mi TheatreTanglewood
17 mi Ski areaMount Snow119 runs · 1,648 ft vertical
35 mi MuseumNorman Rockwell MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Clark Art Institute: Daderot, Public domain · Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art: N-Lange.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tanglewood: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Snow: William J Sisti from Morristown, NJ, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Norman Rockwell Museum: User:Rmrfstar, CC BY 2.5
,_Tanglewood,_Lenox,_Massachusetts.JPG){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Monroe: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Monroe, and how to reach them.
PowerNational Grid33.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMonroe Water District5 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Monroe’s trash rules yet
SchoolsFlorida School DistrictNorth Adams School District in Monroe (9-12)2 districts serve Monroe; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Massachusetts you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMonroe Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code0135001350 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Monroe.
Outdoors
Monroe has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
13 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Monroe is 1.2 miles per square mile.
43.9%conserved
43.9%
conserved · 3,015 of 6,865 acres
13 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Monroe State Forest | 10.4 mi | 2,626 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
Most of Monroe’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Monroe for work: only 0% work in town. The top destinations are Greenfield (6%), Rowe (6%) and Buckland (6%). Half commute less than 42 miles.
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Monroe0%
Greenfield6%
Rowe6%
Buckland6%
Holyoke4%
42 mi
median commute distance
11
jobs based in Monroe
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
High risk in Monroe, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
A typical July afternoon in Monroe is cooler than in most of Massachusetts or the rest of the country
Monroe’s July high is 77°F. Monroe has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
77″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–31°
Spring30–51°
Summer52–74°
Fall36–56°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 14
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Monroe is
Monroe beats the Massachusetts average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 27% of adults have obesity in Monroe.
| Monroe | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 28% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 82% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
1 better25 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Monroe | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 91.8% | 89.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16% | 11.9% |
North Adams Regional Hospital Corporation
6.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Monroe
17pages on Monroe
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Monroe
Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsUniversity or college · Public · North Adams6.5 mi$12,436 in-state tuitionWilliams CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Williamstown11.1 mi$68,560 tuition
About 9 of every 100 Monroe residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Massachusetts.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Monroe for work
Where Monroe’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
11jobs based in Monroe
0%of working residents work in town
42 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Monroe
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Monroe is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 118 at the 2020 U.S. census. By area, population, and population density, it is the smallest town in the county; and is the second-smallest town by population in the Commonwealth. This makes it the smallest town by population in mainland Massachusetts. Gosnold is the only town in Massachusetts to be smaller than Monroe by population. Monroe is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 11 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,093 ft
- ZIP code
- 01350
Questions about Monroe
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Monroe, MA a good place to live?
Monroe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.