West Monroe, Michigan

Community in Monroe County · population 3,227 (2020 Census)

Median home: $109,200
Household income: $48,317
Jan low / Jul high: 18° / 83°
Snow a year: 41 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 21
Median age: 43.1

West Monroe is a community of 3,227 people in Monroe County, Michigan. The median home is worth $109,200, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks more walkable than 93% of Michigan towns, more vibrant than 90% of Michigan towns, better transit than 87% of Michigan towns.

How West Monroe ranks

Percentile among Michigan towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Michigan towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in West Monroe is worth $109,200, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $48,317, which is more affordable than 84% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $850 a month. 87.3% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.

Housing	West Monroe	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$109,200	$193,900
Median rent	$850	$955
Median household income	$48,317	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.3×	2.8×
Homeownership	87.3%	86.8%
Median year built	1973	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in West Monroe

People	West Monroe	Typical Michigan town
Median age	43.1	43.7
Age 65 and over	17.4%	20.7%
Under 18	17.0%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	6.0%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	31.8%	10.4%
Veterans	9.4%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.8%	—
Work from home	1.0%	9.1%
Average commute	25.0 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	84.3%	88.8%

Weather in West Monroe

July highs average 83.2°F and January lows 18.1°F. About 33.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 41.2 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 125 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Newport 4Sse station (8.2 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of West Monroe since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 8, 1953 about 9.3 miles from the town center and killed 4. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 4 deaths and 36 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on August 24, 2023.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 32 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on March 27, 1991.

Severe weather in Monroe County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Monroe County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Monroe County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, tornado.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
February 8, 2024	Flood	DR-4757: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
September 23, 2003	Other	EM-3189: Power Outage

Jobs and pay in Monroe County

Monroe County had 41,159 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,516 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in West Monroe itself the ACS puts it at 12.6%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near West Monroe

Monroe, MI
1.5 mi · 14,391 people · home $187,200
South Monroe, MI
1.6 mi · 6,468 people · home $184,000
Monroe, MI
2.4 mi · 20,462 people · home $167,900
La Salle, MI
4.6 mi · 4,639 people · home $233,200
Raisinville, MI
4.9 mi · 5,903 people · home $240,400
Frenchtown, MI
5.0 mi · 21,609 people · home $208,000
Ida, MI
9.2 mi · 4,783 people · home $317,100
Exeter, MI
9.5 mi · 3,927 people · home $310,100

West Monroe questions

Is West Monroe, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, West Monroe scores better for retirees than 1% of Michigan towns and quieter than 9%. 17.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.1).

How much does a house cost in West Monroe?

The median owner-occupied home in West Monroe is valued at $109,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,317, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $850 a month.

What is the weather like in West Monroe?

July highs average 83.2°F and January lows 18.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.3 inches of precipitation a year and 41.2 inches of snow.

Does West Monroe get tornadoes?

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of West Monroe since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 8, 1953. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to West Monroe's Census boundary (GEOID 2686050). Comparisons use the median of Michigan towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.