Monroe, LA Metro Area
The Monroe, LA metro area is made up of 4 parishes in Louisiana: Ouachita, Morehouse, Union, and Richland, largest first. About 222,390 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 2.1% fewer than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 222,390 2.1% fewer than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Parishes
- 4: 1 central, 3 outlying
- Land area
- 2,838 sq mi (7,349 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Louisiana
- Combined statistical area
- Monroe-Ruston, LA
- CBSA code
- 33740
Parishes in the Monroe, LA metro area, largest first
| Parish | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita Parish | Central | 158,542 | 71.3% |
| Morehouse Parish | Outlying | 23,705 | 10.7% |
| Union Parish | Outlying | 20,561 | 9.2% |
| Richland Parish | Outlying | 19,582 | 8.8% |
A central parish holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying parish is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central parish, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A parish belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Monroe47,004 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Monroe-Ruston, LA combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other area in this one is
- Ruston, LA Micro Area48,360 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a parish on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Ruston, LA Micro Area33 mi west
- El Dorado, AR Micro Area59 mi northwest
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
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