Groundwork

County profile · Iowa

Monroe County, IA market data

Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in Monroe County, each scored against other counties.

Population, 2025
7,406
−2.5% since 2020
Households
3,089
Median household income
$70,996
Median home value
$156,300
Jobs located here
2,848
Market scores
Not scored
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Monroe County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Monroe County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

An estimated 7,406 people live in Monroe County, in 3,089 households. Population estimates put the population change in Monroe County from 2020 to 2025 at −2.5%, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median household income in Monroe County is $70,996 a year, 12% below the U.S. median of $80,734.

Set against the U.S., households in Monroe County spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 134, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on child care and other personal services (59).

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

For its number of households, Monroe County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for auto repair and car care businesses (36% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for sit-down restaurants (37% below the U.S. rate).

All 56 business types in Monroe County

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.

Every business type in Monroe County, IA, listings, listings per 10,000 households, spending per listing and official establishments
Business typeListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingSpending per listing vs. U.S. (100)Official establishments
Restaurants and cafes3097.1$372K10012
Auto repair and car care1548.6$264K98Under 3
Sit-down restaurants1238.8$931K1406
Auto repair shops825.9$496K112Under 3
Real estate825.9Index only1184
Real estate agents and brokers825.9Index only944
Insurance agencies722.7$888K714
Pet businesses722.7$346K39Under 3
Doctors, dentists and clinics619.4$683K4483
Salons, barbers and spas619.4$478K225Under 3
Funeral homes516.2$110K16Under 3
Gyms, studios and classes516.2$460K70Under 3
Hair salons516.2$573K133Under 3
Coffee shops and cafes412.9$2.8M753
Pizza412.9$2.8M553
Bakeries and dessert shops39.7$3.7M903
Chiropractors39.7$1.4M57Under 3
Clothing, shoes and laundry39.7$1.9M214Under 3
Fast food and sandwich shops39.7$3.7M1223
Gyms39.7$767K59Under 3
Home repair trades39.7$2.6M1073
Tire shops39.7$1.3M53Under 3
Veterinarians39.7$808K30Under 3
Car washes and detailing26.5$2MToo fewUnder 3
Child care and preschools26.5$529KToo fewUnder 3
Clothing and shoe stores26.5$2.8MToo fewUnder 3
Collision repair and body shops26.5$2MToo fewUnder 3
Gas stations26.5$5.1MToo few4
Grocery and convenience stores26.5$9MToo fewUnder 3
Grocery stores26.5$9MToo fewUnder 3
Lawn, cleaning and pest control26.5$1.8MToo fewUnder 3
Martial arts and dance studios26.5$1.2MToo fewUnder 3
Pet grooming and boarding26.5$1.2MToo fewUnder 3
Roofing and gutters26.5$3.9MToo fewUnder 3
Dentists and orthodontists13.2$4.1MToo few3
House cleaning13.2$3.6MToo fewUnder 3
HVAC and plumbing13.2$7.8MToo few3
Landscaping and lawn care13.2$3.6MToo fewUnder 3
Physical therapy13.2$4.1MToo fewUnder 3
Spas and skin care13.2$2.9MToo fewUnder 3
Barbershops00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Convenience stores00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Dry cleaners00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Electricians00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Home inspectors00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Laundromats00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Mortgage brokers and lenders00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Nail salons00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Oil change and quick lube00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Optometrists and eye care00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pest control00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pet stores00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Primary care and pediatrics00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Property management00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Urgent care and walk-in clinics00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3

Household spending in Monroe County

What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).

Annual household spending in Monroe County, IA by line, per household, and against the U.S.
Spending lineA year, all householdsPer householdIndex vs. U.S. (100)
Vehicle maintenance and repairs$4M$1,284134
Gasoline and other fuels$10.3M$3,319128
Food away from home$11.2M$3,61789
Groceries$18M$5,83492
Personal care products and services$2.9M$92892
Child care and other personal services$1.1M$34259
Memberships, classes and admissions$2.3M$74576
Medical and dental services$4.1M$1,327103
Pets$2.4M$78486
Clothing, shoes and related services$5.6M$1,82789
Vehicle insurance$6.2M$2,012103
Home repairs, maintenance and insurance$7.8M$2,51383
Lawn care, cleaning and other household services$3.6M$1,15081
Rent and homeowner costs$41M$13,27180

Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.

Population and households in Monroe County

Population, 2025 estimate
7,406−2.5% since 2020
Households
3,089
Median age
42.5
Homes lived in by their owners
81%
Vehicles per household
2.2
Land area
434 sq. mi.
People per square mile
17
Median household income
$70,996
Average household income
$82,641
Median home value
$156,300
Jobs located here
2,848
Daytime population
6,622Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

Looking at a specific site in Monroe County?

These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.

Or open the report at the center of Monroe County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Questions

How fast is Monroe County, IA growing?

Population estimates put Monroe County at 7,406 people in 2025, down 2.5% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 3,089 households.

How much do households in Monroe County, IA spend?

Households in Monroe County spend about $41M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $18M on groceries and $11.2M on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in Monroe County runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 134, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on child care and other personal services (59).

Which business types have the highest market scores in Monroe County, IA?

The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.

How does Monroe County, IA compare with the U.S.?

Median household income in Monroe County is $70,996, 12% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 2.5% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $156,300, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for auto repair and car care businesses (36% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for sit-down restaurants (37% below the U.S. rate).

What is the Groundwork market score?

The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Markets with fewer than 5 map listings of the type, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Monroe County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.

All markets in Iowa · Every U.S. market · How we measure

Screening a site or an acquisition in Monroe County?

A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.

The button opens the report at the center of Monroe County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.