What it's like to live in Monroe
Monroe is a small city in Georgia with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Monroe deals with household incomes below the national average, commute times longer than most cities, college degree attainment below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Above-average commute times
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Above-average rainfall
How Monroe compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Monroe
Based on Monroe's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,210
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,200 a year
- 55% of Monroe renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,860
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,930
- Homes cost 5.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 22% below US
$1,105/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,105 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $259,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $259,300 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Walton County is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Walton County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 14% below US
283 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1753/100k · Monroe Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 23% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.1 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 34°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 55% below US
16% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (36 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Monroe's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,105/mo) equals 30% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low). It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Monroe
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