Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,714, platted in 1857. Public schools that outperform most of Missouri.
Monroe City gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $196K for a typical one, or 3.6 years of the county’s $55K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 105th of 247 in Missouri. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 82% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. 47% of households own their home in Monroe City, against 64% in Missouri’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Monroe City has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Washington School and St. Jude's Episcopal Church. Among 247 Missouri towns, just 3 have a lower July high than Monroe City.
Where Monroe City beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Monroe City Elem. | PK–4 | 331 |
| Holy Rosary School | PK–8 | 185 |
| Monroe City Middle | 5–8 | 178 |
Washington SchoolEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Monroe City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 353 in 1870, 2,652 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 3 maps from 1903 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Monroe City, 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 Monroe City.
Monroe City is healthier than towns with similar incomes, trades workers with Hannibal and other neighbors and is mostly renters.
Against the 7,653 U.S. towns with household incomes like Monroe City’s, it is less healthy than 67%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
33% of adults get no exercise outside work in Monroe City. Monroe City beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Monroe City.
| Monroe City | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 22% | 19% |
| What stands out | Monroe City | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10% | 8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.3% | 3.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.1% | 6.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Monroe City R-I school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe City Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 331 | A− |
| Monroe City R-I HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 271 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
The median rent in Monroe City is $668 a month. Typical home values rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Monroe City has chilly winters and warm summers. Monroe City’s January low is 18°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Monroe City has about as many jobs (1,194) as working residents, but only 234 people both live and work here.
About one in 5 of Monroe City’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Monroe City has lost 193 jobs, to 1,194 in 2023. The top destinations are Hannibal (13%), Columbia (5%) and Quincy (3%).
| Monroe City | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lion's Field Park | — | 12 |
| 2. North Park | — | 3 |
| 3. South Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Monroe City; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Monroe City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
3 places in Monroe City on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Marion, Monroe, and Ralls counties in Missouri, United States
Monroe City is a city in Marion, Monroe, and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 2,652 at the 2020 census. The Marion and Ralls County portions of Monroe City are part of the Hannibal Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Monroe City grades B overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #105 of 247 in Missouri. It grades C− for health and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
Monroe City was platted in 1857 and has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 2 notable people were born here, including Claude T. Smith and Helen Cornelius.
