Montereyhs, 2007
Monterey’s story
133 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,107 in 1910, 2,746 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
- 1893Monterey is settled
MontereyTN
A town of 2,827, settled in 1893.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
2,827
2025 Census estimate · +2.9% since 2020
Typical home
$292K
+3.6% in a year
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
27.0
years
Jobs based here
1,325
Balanced
TownGrade
C−
#117 of 175 in TN
Is Monterey a good place to live?
Monterey gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $292K for a typical one, or 5.3 years of the Cookeville area’s $55K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 117th of 175 in Tennessee. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. 30% of residents live below the poverty line in Monterey, above both Tennessee’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 89% of U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 177 Tennessee towns we compare have a lower median age than Monterey.
How Monterey grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Monterey is from typical.
HealthCookeville Regional Medical Center 13.8 miles awayD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.6 of 20; 3.4% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & incomeCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →SchoolsBOpen →SafetyC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landCOpen →HistoryC−Open →Civic life2.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 27.0; 10% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Monterey: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Monterey, and how to reach them.
PowerVolunteer Electric Coop13.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMonterey Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Monterey’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Tennessee you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections herePutnam County Election CommissionPutnam County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code3857438574 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 Monterey.
Monterey fares better on crime within Tennessee than nationally and has milder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of Tennessee; it also has poverty well above the Tennessee rate.
HealthD−
More of Monterey’s adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance than in the typical Tennessee or U.S. town
19% of Monterey adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Monterey beats the Tennessee average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 77% of Monterey adults had a checkup this year.
4%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Monterey | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 12% | 8.1% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 12% |
31 measures vs. Tennessee
0 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Monterey | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 27.3% | 14.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 19.4% | 11.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.9% | 8.6% |
Cookeville Regional Medical Center
13.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
14th
percentile among TN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Monterey’s schools rank ahead of 63% of Tennessee districts
Its public schools are run by the Putnam County school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Monterey High School, with 526 students.
63%of TN districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burks ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 515 | B+ |
| Monterey High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 526 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
Climate
Compared with most of Tennessee and the rest of the country, a typical July afternoon in Monterey is cooler
January nights average 27°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 91% of Tennessee places with climate records; July afternoons average 83.8°.
The July high in Monterey is 84°F. Monterey has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. About 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.
16″snow a winter
| Monterey | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 84°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 27°F | 29°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–47°
Spring46–66°
Summer63–83°
Fall47–68°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
A job hub: Monterey has 1.4 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,188 commuters
Monterey’s average trip to work is 21 minutes. Since 2013, Monterey has lost 214 jobs, to 1,325 in 2023. Monterey’s median household income is $46,000.
14%work in town
| Monterey | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Monterey14%
Cookeville28%
Crossville9%
Nashville8%
Sparta3%
17 mi
median commute distance
1,325
jobs based in Monterey
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 11% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SafetyC+
Crime per resident in Monterey is higher than in 62% of U.S. towns
At 23.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 57% of Tennessee’s graded towns.
38%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Monterey3.6
Tennessee6
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Monterey13.1
Tennessee20.7
U.S.17.7
38th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
57th
percentile among TN towns
10
violent crimes reported in 2024
36
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Monterey
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B+
Monterey earns a B+ for cost of living
59% of households own their home in Monterey. The typical Monterey home is worth about $292,000, up 3.6% in a year, 12% below the Tennessee typical home.
$292KZillow home value
| Monterey | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 66% | 73% |
| Median rent | $715 a month | $950 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Monterey$292K
Tennessee$331K
+3.6%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsC
Monterey has set aside 0.5% of its land for conservation
0.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.5%conserved
| Monterey | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
0.5%
conserved · 10 of 1,930 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Whitaker Park | 0.2 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Monterey
19pages on Monterey
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 63% of TN districts · 2 schoolsSafetyC+3.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthD−Better than TN on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$292K typical home · up 3.6% in a yearWork & commuteC$46K median household income · 1,325 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Monterey
About 3 of every 100 Monterey residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
About Monterey
Town in Tennessee, United States
Monterey is a town in Putnam County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Monterey had a population of 2,746. It is part of the Cookeville, Tennessee micropolitan statistical area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1893
- Area
- 3.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,883 ft
- ZIP code
- 38574
- Area code
- 931
Questions about Monterey
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Monterey, TN a good place to live?
Monterey grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #117 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades D− for health, C+ for safety and B for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Monterey, TN expensive?
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+.