Monroe County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19135 Republican

Located in Iowa, Monroe County has a population of 7,513 residents and a median age of 41.8 years, making it the #2,691 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.2%. The median home value is $156,300, and the median household income is $70,996, which is 6% below the national median.

7,513
Population
#2,691 of 3,222
$70,996
Median Income
-5.5% #1,129 of 3,222
41.8 years
Median Age
+7.5% #1,557 of 3,222
9.2%
Poverty Rate
-27.2% #613 of 3,222

Demographics

Monroe County has a population of 7,513, making it the #2,691 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.8 years, which is 7.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.3%
Native Born
0.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Monroe County is $70,996, ranking #1,129 out of 3,222 counties — 5.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.2% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.

Income#1,129
$70,996
-5.5%
vs nation
65th percentile
Per Capita#1,573
$35,132
-14.9%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poverty#613
9.2%
-27.2%
vs nation
81th percentile
Unemployment#731
3.1%
-41.5%
vs nation
77th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Monroe County is $156,300 (-44.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $798/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.3%.

Home Value#2,119
$156,300
-44.6%
vs nation
34th percentile
Rent#2,110
$798
-31.4%
vs nation
34th percentile
Homeownership#448
81.3%
+26.2%
vs nation
86th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Monroe County, 21.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 36.6% below the national average, ranking #1,763 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.4% −36.6% vs nation
Rank #1,763 of 3,222
45th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Monroe County is 75.3 years. 15.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,523
75.3
+0.2%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#530
15.0%
-23.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Diabetes#567
9.1%
-18.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#934
35.0%
-6.2%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#577
5.1
-9.6%
vs nation
82th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#540
3.8
-14.8%
vs nation
83th percentile
Uninsured Rate#144
4.8%
-53.9%
vs nation
95th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,337
25.0%
-5.2%
vs nation
58th percentile
Food Insecurity#549
11.1%
-22.9%
vs nation
83th percentile

Substance Use

17.2% of adults in Monroe County smoke , 37.5% are obese , and 25.0% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,353
17.2%
-4.2%
vs nation
57th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,283
37.5%
-1.1%
vs nation
59th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,033
25.0%
+25.8%
vs nation
4th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 29.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,319
29.8
+51.1%
vs nation
9th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,099
25.5
+42.8%
vs nation
15th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,414
18.5
-8.8%
vs nation
50th percentile

Families & Children

14.2% of children in Monroe County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 20.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,486
20.2
-7.6%
vs nation
51th percentile
Child Poverty#981
14.2%
-25.2%
vs nation
69th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Monroe County is 68.8%. The mean commute time is 32.2 min, which is 16.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
68.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.2 min +16.5% vs nation
Rank #570 of 3,222
82th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Monroe County voted Republican with a margin of 50.7%. The vote was 24.2% Dem / 74.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +50.7%
24.2% 74.9%
Dem 4,146 votes Rep
2020 REP +46.4%
26.4% 72.8%
Dem 4,088 votes Rep
2016 REP +41.1%
27.4% 68.5%
Dem 3,844 votes Rep
2012 REP +7.7%
45.5% 53.2%
Dem 3,802 votes Rep
2008 REP +5.2%
46.4% 51.6%
Dem 3,873 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Monroe County, Iowa

Monroe County, Iowa has a total population of 7,513, making it the 2,691st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Monroe County is 41.8 years, which is 7.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Monroe County is $70,996, which ranks #1,129 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 5.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.

The median home value in Monroe County is $156,300, 44.6% below the national median. Renters in Monroe County pay a median gross rent of $798 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Monroe County, 21.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.2 min.

Monroe County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (2.1%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (1.2%).

All data for Monroe County, Iowa comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.