The Town Files

Monroe County, Tennessee

47,695 people. The median home is worth $227,500 (typical Tennessee town: $204,650) and the median household earns $56,895.

Towns in Monroe County

Towns in Monroe County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Sweetwater6,312$178,400$45,45140.8
Madisonville5,132$234,400$39,87841.9

People and housing

Monroe CountyTypical Tennessee town
Median home value$227,500$204,650
Median rent$714$863
Median household income$56,895$57,917
Median age45.240.8
Bachelor's degree or higher17.1%18.2%
Below the poverty line15.5%14.2%

Jobs and pay

15,485 jobs in 2024, average pay $49,323 a year.

Largest industries in Monroe CountyManufacturing5,854 jobs · $62,401Retail1,986 jobs · $32,007Hotels & restaurants1,448 jobs · $18,313Administrative & support739 jobs · $30,918Wholesale trade339 jobs · $61,332Finance & insurance292 jobs · $70,107
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Monroe County0%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023 3.6%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 529 storm events in Monroe County from 1996 to 2026.

Storm events in Monroe County by type since 1996Hail70Flood18Drought2Tornado15High Wind37Ice Storm5Heavy Snow32Flash Flood23Strong Wind5Winter Storm35
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Monroe County has been included in 18 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 6, 2026Winter StormDR-4898: Severe Winter Storm
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3635: Severe Winter Storm
April 2, 2025Severe StormEM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
May 17, 2023Severe StormDR-4712: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado
April 24, 2020Severe StormDR-4541: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
April 2, 2020BiologicalDR-4514: Covid-19 Pandemic
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).