Jobs, pay and daily life in Monroe, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Monroe is a city in Louisiana with 47,004 residents. The median household earns $40,505 a year and the median rent is $886 a month, which is 26.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Monroe, LA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 87,500 jobs.
How Monroe compares. Among the 80 largest places in Louisiana, Monroe is #9 by population, #72 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #71 for household income (#1 = highest), #14 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Ouachita Parish, is #33 of 64 counties for average pay ($50,059).
Monroe has 47,004 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.0% of the population of Louisiana. It covers 30 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,581 people per square mile. The median age is 35.0, 8% younger than the state median (35.0 against 38.0).
The median gross rent is $886 a month (rent plus utilities), 17% below the state median ($886 against $1,064). Over a year that is 26.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $198,900, which is 4.9 times the median household income ($40,505). 47.8% of households own their home, 29% below the state average (47.8% against 67.4%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Monroe, LA metropolitan area has 87,500 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $38,150 a year, 25% below the national median ($38,150 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (11,040 jobs, median $37,320); transportation and material moving (8,440 jobs, median $37,690); food preparation and serving related (8,000 jobs, median $22,090). The area is most specialised in healthcare support (1.7 times) and healthcare practitioners and technical (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($66,010) and transportation and material moving ($37,690). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Ouachita Parish was 3.8%. 54.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Ouachita Parish; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 72.8% drive alone, 2.7% use public transit, 3.7% walk, 7.5% work from home. 9.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 37% below the state average (9.6% against 15.2%).
32.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20% above the state share (32.4% against 27.0%). 2.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 48% below the state share (2.5% against 4.9%). The poverty rate is 35.9%, 90% above the state rate (35.9% against 18.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 84°F (28.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 45°F (7.0°C). About 1,413 mm (56 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (139 mm) and Sep the driest (93 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: West Monroe (4 miles, rent 7% lower); Claiborne (7 miles, rent 36% higher); Bastrop (20 miles, rent 5% lower); Ruston (33 miles, rent 8% lower). Rent differences are against Monroe; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Louisiana (780) →State guide: LouisianaCountry guideOuachita ParishLouisiana rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 780 federal postings open in Louisiana (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
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| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,530 | 1.87 | $21,720 | $18,710 | $33,140 | -39% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,830 | 1.71 | $35,260 | $22,770 | $44,300 | -12% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,350 | 1.07 | $27,710 | $20,990 | $42,830 | -22% |
| Registered Nurses | 2,340 | 1.23 | $78,270 | $61,970 | $97,460 | -20% |
| Cashiers | 2,330 | 1.34 | $24,490 | $18,350 | $31,010 | -26% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,060 | 0.95 | $21,550 | $17,620 | $27,610 | -31% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,060 | 1.48 | $30,280 | $20,810 | $45,910 | -33% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,740 | 0.88 | $94,240 | $47,680 | $198,620 | -11% |
| Food Preparation Workers | 1,630 | 3.25 | $22,430 | $17,170 | $34,000 | -36% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,530 | 1.23 | $28,120 | $20,800 | $35,490 | -24% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,370 | 1.07 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $43,180 | -57% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,340 | 1.64 | $29,880 | $27,580 | $35,250 | -29% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,250 | 1.60 | $50,300 | $37,670 | $59,250 | -21% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,240 | 1.07 | $47,300 | $35,090 | $59,180 | -19% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,210 | 0.76 | $31,070 | $26,700 | $43,210 | -17% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,200 | 1.39 | $46,140 | $27,870 | $86,880 | -7% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,150 | 1.20 | $37,320 | $24,710 | $51,960 | -21% |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 1,130 | 3.11 | $55,360 | $44,950 | $62,790 | -14% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,110 | 0.76 | $34,520 | $26,640 | $48,190 | -23% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,030 | 1.28 | $51,530 | $36,390 | $77,680 | -26% |
These figures are for the whole Monroe, LA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $38,150 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.0% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 35.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 13.2% |
| Retail trade | 12.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.4% |
| Manufacturing | 5.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.6% |
| Other services | 4.4% |
| Public administration | 4.0% |
| Construction | 2.6% |
| Information | 1.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Monroe lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita Parish | 158,480 | $9,307 million | $58,726 | 69,384 | 5,397 | $50,059 | +0.2% | 3.8% | 70,764 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 14,546 | 24.6% | $49,276 | 1.46 |
| Retail trade | 8,310 | 14.1% | $32,857 | 1.20 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,018 | 11.9% | $19,839 | 1.11 |
| Administrative and waste services | 5,263 | 8.9% | $45,652 | 1.29 |
| Manufacturing | 4,618 | 7.8% | $77,360 | 0.81 |
| Construction | 3,932 | 6.6% | $59,295 | 1.08 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,694 | 4.6% | $68,181 | 0.56 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,627 | 4.4% | $73,847 | 0.93 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,959 | 3.3% | $76,212 | 0.72 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,941 | 3.3% | $50,394 | 0.93 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,656 | 2.8% | $53,234 | 0.56 |
| Information | 1,061 | 1.8% | $71,003 | 0.82 |
| Real estate and rental | 957 | 1.6% | $48,527 | 0.89 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 821 | 1.4% | $18,687 | 0.70 |
| Management of companies | 579 | 1.0% | $99,236 | 0.49 |
| Utilities | 490 | 0.8% | $86,896 | 1.86 |
| Educational services | 447 | 0.8% | $42,466 | 0.31 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 108 | 0.2% | $42,158 | 0.19 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 101 | 0.2% | $75,344 | 0.38 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.8% |
| Public transit | 2.7% |
| Walk | 3.7% |
| Work from home | 7.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,505 |
| Income per person | $30,526 |
| Median gross rent per month | $886 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 26.2% |
| Median home value | $198,900 |
| Homeowners | 47.8% |
| Poverty rate | 35.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 83.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $38,150 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 85.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 32.4% |
| Born abroad | 2.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 54.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.0 | 45 | 122 |
| Feb | 9.2 | 49 | 134 |
| Mar | 13.8 | 57 | 126 |
| Apr | 18.3 | 65 | 130 |
| May | 23.1 | 74 | 118 |
| Jun | 27.4 | 81 | 104 |
| Jul | 28.9 | 84 | 110 |
| Aug | 28.9 | 84 | 99 |
| Sep | 25.9 | 79 | 93 |
| Oct | 19.6 | 67 | 133 |
| Nov | 13.0 | 55 | 105 |
| Dec | 8.6 | 47 | 139 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Monroe | LA | 4 mi | 12,729 | $49,386 | $826 |
| Claiborne | LA | 7 mi | 13,308 | $72,420 | $1,206 |
| Bastrop | LA | 20 mi | 9,232 | $32,605 | $839 |
| Ruston | LA | 33 mi | 22,284 | $31,120 | $816 |
| El Dorado | AR | 59 mi | 17,115 | $49,244 | $880 |
| Minden | LA | 70 mi | 11,455 | $34,294 | $895 |
| Vicksburg | MS | 71 mi | 20,589 | $45,781 | $820 |
| Monticello | AR | 78 mi | 8,257 | $27,238 | $707 |
| Natchez | MS | 79 mi | 14,192 | $36,735 | $806 |
| Natchitoches | LA | 81 mi | 17,577 | $37,133 | $802 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
47,004 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$886 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 26.2% of the median household income.
$40,505 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.8% (BLS county, Ouachita Parish (latest month 2026M09)).
Louisiana. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.