Racial and ethnic composition 2020 census As of the
2020 census, there were 47,702 people, 17,327 households, and 9,811 families residing in the city. At the 2019
American Community Survey, there were 48,241 people and 17,327 households. In 2010, the population was 48,815, declining from the city's historic high of 57,597 at the
1980 U.S. census. Of the 17,327
households in 2019, there were 7,409 owner-occupied housing units. An estimated 3,493 of owner-occupied housing units were
married couples living together; 354 were male households with no female present, and 927 were female households with no male present. There was an average family size of 3.58; 27.4% of all households were married couples living together, 29.8% were male households with no female present, and 46.4% were female households with no male present. The
median income for a household in the city was $30,438 versus $51,073 nationwide. Families had an annual median income of $38,374, married-couple families $75,089, and non-family households $21,210. Approximately 36.8% of the population lived at or below the
poverty line; 54.1% under 18 years, 32.2% aged 18 to 16, and 21.3% aged 65 and older lived at or below the poverty line in 2019. In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 62.0%
Black or African American, 32.7%
non-Hispanic or Latin American white, 0.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Asian, 1.0% some other race, 0.9%
two or more races, and 2.3%
Hispanic and Latin American of any race. Among the Hispanic and Latin American population at the 2019 American Community Survey, the largest groups were
Mexican Americans (1.2%) and
Puerto Ricans (0.1%). Other Hispanic and Latin Americans made up 1.0% of the total population.
Vietnamese and
Chinese Americans were the largest Asian American groups in the city, followed by
Asian Indians; the Vietnamese community in Monroe and the rest of Louisiana grew following the
Vietnam War.
Religion As part of the
Bible Belt,
Christianity is the largest religion in Monroe, the city's
metropolitan area, and
North Louisiana. In common with much of northern and
Central Louisiana,
Baptists makes up the largest
Christian denomination by affiliation. As a predominantly-African-American city, the largest
Baptist denominations are the
National Baptist Convention, USA; the
National Baptist Convention of America; and the
Progressive National Baptist Convention. The
Southern Baptist Convention also has churches throughout the Monroe area.
Methodism make up the second-largest Christian denomination by affiliation, primarily divided among the
African Methodist Episcopal and
Christian Methodist Episcopal churches. The
Catholic Church is the third-largest, and the city's Catholic population is served by the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport as of 2021.
Pentecostalism is a growing tradition among the population, divided among Classical Pentecostals, and
Oneness Pentecostals. The
Church of God in Christ and
United Pentecostal Church are the largest Pentecostal denominations in the city and metropolitan area; there are also some independent Oneness Pentecostal churches in the city.
Islam is Monroe's second-largest religion.
Muslims are predominantly
Sunni, though the
Nation of Islam also maintains a presence in the area. Former
mayor Jamie Mayo controversially awarded a
key to the city to the head of the Nation of Islam
Louis Farrakhan.
Judaism is Monroe's third-largest religion, with most being of the
Reform denomination. Temple B'nai Israel, established in 1868, is Monroe's oldest
synagogue. ==Economy==