What it's like to live in Monmouth
Monmouth is a small city in Oregon with rent below the national average and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Monmouth deals with larger class sizes than the national average and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Monmouth compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Monmouth
Based on Monmouth's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,228
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,560 a year
- 45% of Monmouth renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$82,640
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $41,320
- Homes cost 6.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 21% below US
$1,114/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,114 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $413,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $413,200 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Polk County is 4.9%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Polk County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 51% below US
161 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 1069/100k · Monmouth Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 80°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 24% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (60 miles away).
Bottom line
Monmouth's strongest points are rent below the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoff is fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city. A year of median rent ($1,114/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Monmouth
All Oregon guides →Not sure Monmouth is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.