Living in Monroe, NC
Small city in North Carolina
Monroe is a small city in North Carolina, home to about 36,000 people, with 1.5 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Monroe a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 5 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Easy flying: CLT is 26 mi away
- Low taxes: about $1,615 state income tax per resident, 0.69% property tax
- Low natural disaster risk: 5 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Fewer graduates: 22% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Higher crime: violent crime is 2.5× the US rate (FBI 2019)
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Monroe ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Monroe: common questions
What is the cost of living in Monroe?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $336k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,080 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 97, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Monroe?
North Carolina collects about $1,615 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.69% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Monroe safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.5× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Monroe?
Public schools in Monroe test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 15 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Monroe?
Monroe has mild winters: winter days average around 55°F and summer days around 89°F, with roughly 2″ of snow a year.
Does Monroe get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and tornadoes: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.76 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Monroe?
The nearest major airport is CLT, about 26 mi away.
How Monroe scores
Each bar compares Monroe with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Monroe
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in North Carolina.
Is Monroe right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.