Census snapshot: Monroe
Published 2:10 pm Thursday, May 24, 2012
This is one of a series of looks at Snohomish and Island county communities based on data from the U.S. Census of 2010.
Monroe is named for James Monroe, the nation’s fifth president, and originally was a railroad town, although timber and agriculture played an important role over the years. The settlement was was known for the Great Northern Railroad greenhouses that served passengers.
The city was incorporated in 1902 with a population of 325. In 1910, the state chose Monroe as the site for the Washington State Reformatory. Today that prison is part of a larger Monroe Correctional Complex that houses some 2,400 men. As a result, Monroe’s population is only 43.7 percent female.
The city has seen rapid commercial and residential growth over the past decade, with the population swelling by 25.4 percent.
Monroe population vs. Snohomish County and Washington
| At a glance | Monroe | County | Washington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population, 2010 | 17,304 | 713,335 | 6,724,540 |
| Population change, 2000 to 2010 | 25.4% | 17.7% | 14.1% |
| Population, 2000 | 13,795 | 606,024 | 5,894,121 |
| Persons under 5 years | 8.0% | 6.6% | 6.5% |
| Persons under 18 years | 26.6% | 24.4% | 23.5% |
| Persons 65 years and over | 7.2% | 10.3% | 12.3% |
| Female persons | 43.7% | 50.0% | 50.2% |
| White persons | 78.6% | 78.4% | 77.3% |
| Black persons | 3.5% | 2.5% | 3.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native persons | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Asian persons | 2.8% | 8.9% | 7.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Persons reporting two or more races | 3.8% | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin | 17.1% | 9.0% | 11.2% |
| White persons not Hispanic | 72.0% | 74.3% | 72.5% |
More about the city of Monroe
• At Wikipedia.org
• At the U.S. Census Bureau website
• City of Monroe official website
