Monroe cost of living
Prices in the Monroe, LA metro area run at 83.6 against a national average of 100, ranking it #387 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 42.8.
What drives the number
Monroe is one of the least expensive places measured, at 83.6 against a national 100, ranking #387 of 387 metro areas. A 16.4 per cent discount to national prices only helps if local wages do not fall by more, which is the comparison worth making. Against Louisiana as a whole it is 4.6 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 42.8 against goods at 93.7 and other services at 72.2, so the overall figure of 83.6 understates how affordable the housing itself is. It is the opposite of the usual pattern, where housing is what makes a place expensive. Goods at 93.7 are themselves 6.3 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
The number is most useful in reverse: a job here can pay less in cash and still leave a household better off, by roughly 16.4 per cent before anything else is considered.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Monroe is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,210 | $20,030 | $23,959 | $34,900 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,960 | $30,330 | $36,280 | $38,940 |
| Cashiers | 2,540 | $22,190 | $26,543 | $31,190 |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,440 | $26,910 | $32,189 | $34,580 |
| Registered Nurses | 2,290 | $75,440 | $90,239 | $93,600 |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,200 | $28,370 | $33,935 | $43,630 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,940 | $25,250 | $30,203 | $35,930 |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,810 | $90,980 | $108,828 | $102,950 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 83.6.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | 92.7 | 85.4 | #221 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | 92.6 | 86.0 | #228 |
| Baton Rouge | 90.8 | 74.2 | #275 |
| Lafayette | 87.2 | 58.8 | #351 |
| Lake Charles | 85.9 | 51.8 | #370 |
| Alexandria | 85.7 | 53.7 | #373 |
Monroe: common questions
Is Monroe expensive?
Prices are 16.4% below the national average, a parity of 83.6 where the country is 100. It ranks #387 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Louisiana as a whole it is 4.6 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Monroe?
The median worker there earns $37,000, which buys what $44,258 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 42.8 against goods at 93.7. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.