What it's like to live in Monroe
Monroe is a small city in Washington with household incomes running above 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. Monroe deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High student-teacher ratio
- 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
$3,900
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $78,000 a year
- 50% of Monroe renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$133,680
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $66,840
- Homes cost 6.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 38% above US
$1,950/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,950 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $668,400. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $668,400 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Snohomish County is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Snohomish County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 48% below US
171 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1502/100k · Monroe Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 20% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.3 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; 20% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 72°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 32°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 17% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 30% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. 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 Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park (24 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Monroe's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,950/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Monroe
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