Monroe and Columbus receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Monroe
Columbus
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 19%
vs50 · Bottom 40%
Growth
42 · Bottom 37%
vs34 · Bottom 26%
Climate
71 · Top 34%
vs72 · Top 32%
Physical resilience
77 · Top 17%
vs65 · Top 37%
Housing affordability
88 · Bottom 33%
vs88 · Bottom 32%
Access
48 · Bottom 11%
vs50 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
20 · Bottom 9%
vs33 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Monroe | Columbus | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 223,674 | 325,615 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,660 | $59,336 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,966 | $33,493 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 79/sq mi | 117/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $170,300 | $197,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $931 | $1,069 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.0% | 57.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.1% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.6% | 28.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.5% | 18.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 467 | 623 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 18.5% | -5.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 55.1" | 48.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 84 mi | 84 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.9 min | 24.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.0 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Monroe
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
Columbus
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Monroe, LA Metro Area · Columbus, GA-AL Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology