Monroe County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,957. The county seat is Forsyth. The county was created on May 15, 1821. The county was named for James Monroe. Monroe County is included in the Macon, Georgia metropolitan area.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water. Located on the fall line, the county falls in between the Piedmont and the Atlantic coastal plain. The vast majority of Monroe County is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin, with just a tiny southwestern corner of the county, west of a line between Yatesville and Culloden, located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).
Major highways
Interstate 75 Interstate 475 U.S. Route 23 U.S. Route 41 U.S. Route 341 State Route 7 State Route 18 State Route 19 State Route 42 State Route 74 State Route 83 State Route 87 State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75) State Route 408 (unsigned designation for I-475)
Adjacent counties Butts County (north) Jasper County (northeast) Jones County (east) Bibb County (southeast) Crawford County (south) Upson County (southwest) Lamar County (west)
Communities Cities Culloden Forsyth
Census-designated places Bolingbroke Juliette Smarr
Unincorporated communities
Berner Blount Brent High Falls Russellville Strouds
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Monroe County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)9,01211,55415,15019,10119,95461.68%67.52%69.63%72.29%71.37%Black or African American alone (NH)5,3865,3906,0156,2496,08436.87%31.50%27.65%23.65%21.76%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)17366764340.12%0.21%0.31%0.24%0.12%Asian alone (NH)2036742092390.14%0.21%0.34%0.79%0.85%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census640xx0.03%0.02%0.00%Other race alone (NH)21614860.01%0.01%0.03%0.05%0.31%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census158248846xx0.73%0.94%3.03%Hispanic or Latino (any race)173962815357141.18%0.56%1.29%2.02%2.55%Total14,61017,11321,75726,42427,957 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 27,957 people, 10,257 households, and 6,179 families residing in the county. The median age was 43.2 years, 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.7 males age 18 and over. 18.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 81.8% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 72.0% White, 21.9% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.1% from some other race, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.6% of the population.
Of the 10,257 households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 11,085 housing units, of which 7.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.2% were owner-occupied and 20.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.5%.
Politics As of the 2020s, Monroe County is a strongly Republican voting county, voting 73% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Monroe County is part of Georgia's 8th congressional district, currently represented by Austin Scott. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Monroe County is part of District 18. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Monroe County is part of districts 118, 144 and 145.
Education All parts of the county are in the Monroe County School District. - Text list
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Monroe County, Georgia List of counties in Georgia
References