Monroe County Demographics

A map of Monroe County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	41,463	41,185	86.9%	89.0%
Multiracial	2,726	1,970	5.7%	4.3%
Hispanic	2,220	1,937	4.7%	4.2%
Black	950	736	2.0%	1.6%
Native American/Other	232	228	0.5%	0.5%
Asian	104	194	0.2%	0.4%

Monroe County, Tennessee has an estimated population of 47,695, an increase from the 46,250 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 86.9% White, 5.7% Multiracial, 4.7% Hispanic, 2.0% Black, 0.5% Native American/Other, and 0.2% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Monroe County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Monroe has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Tennessee overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Monroe County, that probability was 20.3% in 2020 and 23.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Monroe County is ranked the 34th most populous county in Tennessee, out of 95 counties. Monroe County was ranked the 34th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Monroe County's White Population

41,463 residents of Monroe County, or 86.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Monroe County is significantly higher than in Tennessee overall, where 71% of the population is White. Monroe County ranks 43rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Monroe County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Monroe County's population has decreased from 89.0% to 86.9%.

Monroe County is more White than neighboring Loudon County (85.2% White), and McMinn County (85.8% White). Monroe County is less White than neighboring Cherokee County (89.3% White), Blount County (88.5% White), and Polk County (89.1% White).

Monroe County's Black Population

950 residents of Monroe County, or 2.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Monroe County is considerably lower than in Tennessee overall, where 15.4% of the population is Black. Monroe County ranks 65th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Monroe County's Black population has grown by an estimated 29.1%. Black residents' share of Monroe County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.0%.

Monroe County is more Black than neighboring Loudon County (1.2% Black), Cherokee County (1.8% Black), and Polk County (0.8% Black). Monroe County is less Black than neighboring McMinn County (3.2% Black), and Blount County (2.5% Black).

Monroe County's Asian Population

104 residents of Monroe County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Monroe County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 1.9% of the population is Asian. Monroe County ranks 53rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Monroe County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 46.4%. Asian residents' share of Monroe County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Monroe County is less Asian than neighboring Loudon County (0.9% Asian), Cherokee County (0.5% Asian), McMinn County (0.8% Asian), Blount County (0.8% Asian), and Polk County (0.3% Asian).

Monroe County's Hispanic Population

2,220 residents of Monroe County, or 4.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Monroe County is slightly lower than in Tennessee overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Monroe County ranks 34th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Monroe County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 14.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Monroe County's population has increased from 4.2% to 4.7%.

Monroe County is more Hispanic than neighboring Cherokee County (3.7% Hispanic), McMinn County (4.6% Hispanic), and Polk County (2.2% Hispanic). Monroe County is less Hispanic than neighboring Loudon County (10.4% Hispanic).

Monroe County's Native American/Other Population

232 residents of Monroe County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Monroe County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Monroe County ranks 61st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Monroe County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 1.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Monroe County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Monroe County is more Native American/Other than neighboring McMinn County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Polk County (0.3% Native American/Other). Monroe County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Cherokee County (1.3% Native American/Other), and Blount County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Monroe County's Multiracial Population

2,726 residents of Monroe County, or 5.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Monroe County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Monroe County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Monroe County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 38.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Monroe County's population has increased from 4.3% to 5.7%.

Monroe County is more Multiracial than neighboring Loudon County (1.8% Multiracial), Cherokee County (3.4% Multiracial), McMinn County (5.4% Multiracial), and Blount County (3% Multiracial). Monroe County is less Multiracial than neighboring Polk County (7.4% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.