County · Wisconsin

Monroe County, Wisconsin

Monroe County, Wisconsin. Monroe County had 46,572 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.6% since 2020, slower than Wisconsin (+1.3%). It holds 38 places (12 cities, villages and boroughs, 24 towns and townships and 2 census-designated) and 9 census tracts. GEOID 55081.

Monroe County is the county of the Sparta, WI micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

46,572

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 46,274 · ACS 2020-2024: 46,208

Median household income

$69,467

±$3,463 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $77,485

Median home value

$210,000

±$6,667 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $266,500

Median gross rent

$914

±$43 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $1,087

How many people live in Monroe County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 46,274 residents in Monroe County. The Census Bureau estimates 46,572 for July 1, 2025, up 0.6% since 2020, slower than Wisconsin (+1.3%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 46,208 over 901 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −133 (46,174)
2021→2022 −131 (46,043)
2022→2023 +203 (46,246)
2023→2024 +259 (46,505)
2024→2025 +67 (46,572)

Monroe County in Wisconsin. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Monroe County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	46,208	5,914,872	+437
Households	18,301±234	2,479,480	+386
Average household size	2.48±0.03	2.33	no clear change
Housing units	20,022±57	2,778,572	no clear change

Monroe County's population since 2000

From 40,899 in 2000 to 46,572 in 2025: up 13.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 40,899
2005 (estimate) 42,604
2010 Census 44,673
2015 (estimate) 45,314
2020 Census 46,274
2025 (estimate) 46,572

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Monroe County?

Monroe County holds 38 places: 12 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 24 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 2 census-designated places. The largest is Sparta with 9,974 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Monroe County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Sparta	city	10,025	9,950±27	$64,973	$180,600	11.3%	100%
Tomah	city	9,570	9,532±33	$51,274	$174,300	16.7%	100%
Sparta (town)	town	3,253	3,225±18	$94,226	$275,000	5.0%	100%
La Grange (town), Monroe County	town	1,948	1,922±206	$98,958	$244,800	6.8%	100%
Angelo (town)	town	1,697	1,669±335	$71,250	$211,600	5.5%	100%
Little Falls (town)	town	1,509	1,653±245	$89,038	$231,800	6.6%	100%
Tomah (town)	town	1,488	1,466±258	$98,345	$312,400	6.1%	100%
Byron (town), Monroe County	town	1,234	1,208±149	$77,083	$197,400	16.5%	100%
Cashton	village	1,158	1,281±257	$70,074	$140,800	20.7%	100%
Leon (town), Monroe County	town	1,144	1,142±194	$88,750	$282,200	2.2%	100%
Wilton (town)	town	963	1,174±252	$77,500	$271,900	31.0%	100%
Jefferson (town), Monroe County	town	841	790±172	$84,545	$263,200	10.7%	100%
Portland (town), Monroe County	town	833	846±179	$62,083	$350,000	7.3%	100%
Lincoln (town), Monroe County	town	793	955±145	$103,333	$269,800	1.7%	100%
Oakdale (town)	town	754	663±118	$82,321	$233,000	9.2%	100%
Adrian (town)	town	733	816±142	$89,167	$315,800	16.9%	100%
Clifton (town), Monroe County	town	733	775±222	$69,000	$319,600	32.9%	100%
Greenfield (town), Monroe County	town	677	629±151	$104,375	$271,900	8.1%	100%
Wellington (town)	town	666	707±221	$61,000	$316,100	7.7%	100%
Glendale (town)	town	663	655±179	$66,705	$301,400	16.5%	100%
Sheldon (town)	town	649	659±225	$59,440	$271,900	12.3%	100%
Norwalk	village	611	662±156	$66,146	$96,700	8.6%	100%
Wells (town)	town	562	430±82	$75,417	$230,000	11.0%	100%
Warrens	village	544	438±77	$67,321	$155,100	6.6%	100%
Wilton	village	532	532±194	$85,598	$166,800	6.3%	100%
Kendall	village	484	379±82	$58,750	$107,500	6.9%	100%
Ridgeville (town)	town	479	406±67	$98,750	$303,700	15.8%	100%
Grant (town), Monroe CountyGEOID 5508130325	town	469	487±105	$75,000	$233,000	2.9%	100%
Lafayette (town), Monroe County	town	447	379±140	$102,813	$330,000	9.8%	100%
Oakdale	village	302	321±93	$88,182	$178,100	8.4%	100%
CataractGEOID 5513150	CDP	220	138±61	$51,964	$212,500	9.2%	100%
New Lyme (town)	town	193	158±53	$104,844	$282,400	5.1%	100%
WyevilleGEOID 5589275	village	121	159±81	$65,000	$137,500	9.4%	100%
Scott (town), Monroe CountyGEOID 5508172325	town	106	51±20	$50,000	not published	9.8%	100%
Tunnel CityGEOID 5581025	CDP	100	105±59	$250,000 or more	$201,700	7.6%	100%
MelvinaGEOID 5550800	village	93	89±35	$58,750	$235,000	0.0%	100%
Rockland	village	765	745±166	$78,500	$223,000	8.4%	0%
Ontario	village	534	422±82	$50,250	$141,700	9.5%	0%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Monroe County?

The median resident of Monroe County is 39.7 years old; 25.4% are under 18 and 18.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.8%. 2.6% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Monroe County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	39.7±0.6	40.2	no clear change
Under 18 years	25.4%	21.4%	–
65 years and over	18.0%±0.1 pts	18.5%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	5.8%	8.0%	+1.2 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	88.1%±0.4 pts	78.6%	−2.4 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	1.5%±0.3 pts	5.9%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.8%±0.2 pts	2.9%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.7%±0.1 pts	0.5%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	3.1%±0.5 pts	3.7%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.3%	–
Born outside the United States	2.6%±0.4 pts	5.2%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	9.0%±1.1 pts	9.0%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	11.9%±1.2 pts	6.2%	–
With a disability	13.5%±1.0 pts	12.3%	–
No health insurance coverage	8.9%±1.2 pts	5.2%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	90.8%±1.0 pts	93.6%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	21.3%±1.5 pts	33.4%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	6.6%±0.7 pts	11.4%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	1.0%±0.6 pts	2.0%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Monroe County earn?

Half of Monroe County's 18,301 households earn less than $69,467 a year (±$3,463), against $77,485 in Wisconsin. In 2015-2019 it was $73,333 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.7% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Monroe County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$69,467±$3,463	$77,485	no clear change
Mean household income	$87,535±$3,983	$101,466	–
Per capita income	$35,704±$1,456	$43,373	no clear change
People below the poverty line	11.7%±1.6 pts	10.6%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	15.5%±4.0 pts	12.8%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	14.0%±1.6 pts	11.1%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	87.1%±1.5 pts	90.3%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Monroe County?

Owners occupy 72.8% of Monroe County's occupied homes and renters 27.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $210,000 by its owner (±$6,667). The median renter pays $914 a month including utilities, and 30.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Monroe County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$210,000±$6,667	$266,500	+$19,242
Median gross rent	$914±$43	$1,087	−$89
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	30.0%±5.7 pts	35.0%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,487±$45	$1,689	–
Owner-occupied homes	72.8%±2.3 pts	67.8%	+3.1 pts
Housing units	20,022±57	2,778,572	no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.6%±0.5 pts	0.5%	–
Rental vacancy rate	4.4%±2.5 pts	4.5%	–
Single-family detached homes	72.9%±1.7 pts	66.2%	–
Mobile homes	7.9%±1.5 pts	3.1%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.7%±0.2 pts	1.4%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	17.7%±1.5 pts	17.8%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Monroe County building?

Builders took permits for 116 new housing units across Monroe County in 2025 (106 single-family), 2.5 per 1,000 residents.

2019 109 units
2020 119 units
2021 128 units
2022 90 units
2023 118 units
2024 116 units
2025 116 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Monroe County get to work?

77.4% of Monroe County's workers drive alone and 9.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 20.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.2%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Monroe County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	63.3%±1.4 pts	65.3%	–
Unemployment rate	3.2%±0.7 pts	3.2%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	77.4%±1.9 pts	74.4%	–
Carpooled	8.2%±1.2 pts	7.3%	–
Public transportation	0.2%±0.1 pts	1.1%	–
Walked	2.6%±0.7 pts	2.6%	–
Worked from home	9.0%±1.0 pts	13.1%	+3.3 pts
Mean travel time to work	20.3 min±0.9	22.2 min	no clear change

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are Monroe County's census tracts?

Monroe County is divided into 9 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $47,083 (Tract 9506) to $87,409 (Tract 9502).

Census tracts of Monroe County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 950155081950100	Warrens (9%)	4,533	4,594±243	$86,917	$231,900	$1,000	7.7%
Tract 950255081950200	Cataract (2%)	5,237	5,104±437	$87,409	$254,100	$1,527	6.9%
Tract 950355081950300	Sparta (81%)	6,693	6,761±414	$67,319	$209,100	$907	9.5%
Tract 950455081950400	Sparta (78%)	4,506	4,418±299	$60,417	$173,400	$790	11.9%
Tract 950555081950500	Tomah (70%)	6,309	6,316±489	$61,343	$193,000	$924	14.8%
Tract 950655081950600	Tomah (88%)	4,227	4,108±499	$47,083	$152,500	$887	16.4%
Tract 950755081950700	Kendall (7%)	4,608	4,418±285	$72,313	$230,300	$690	16.4%
Tract 950855081950800	Norwalk (7%)	4,385	4,676±399	$74,698	$237,600	$804	15.6%
Tract 950955081950900	Cashton (16%)	5,776	5,813±419	$83,750	$242,700	$961	8.3%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Monroe County compare with Wisconsin's other counties?

Monroe County's rank among Wisconsin's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	31st of 72
Growth 2020-2025	46th of 72
Residents per square mile	36th of 72
Median household income	41st of 72
Median home value	48th of 72
Median gross rent	32nd of 72
Poverty rate	23rd of 72
Bachelor's degree or higher	51st of 72
Median age	58th of 72

Every county in Wisconsin

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Monroe County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.