Part of series
2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2000 2019 2018
Data updates
Updated annually and as new data becomes available
Get email notifications -->
Media Contact
Neilsberg Research Media Relations
Share this page

Melrose, IA

Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

115
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

51.5
years ∙ half population younger than 51.5, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
9.9%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

0.9%
foreign-born population
99.1%Native
0.9% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Melrose is a city within Monroe County, Iowa, United States.
Location
City in Monroe County, IA, US
Co-ordinates
DEC40.979074° N, 93.050824° W
DMS40° 58′ 44.67″ N, 93° 03′ 02.97″ W

Population Density & area

112.7/sq mi (43.56/km²)
Total Area
1.02 sq mi (2.64 km²)
Land Area
1.02 sq mi (2.64 km²) · 100%
Water Area
0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.6% male
Male 49.6%
Female 50.4%
males per 100 females
Melrose 98.3
Monroe County 100.3
Iowa 100.6

Nativity

0.9%
foreign-born population
99.1%Native
0.9% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Melrose 0.9%
Monroe County 0.7%
Iowa 5.9%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

51.5
years ∙ half population younger than 51.5, half older
Melrose
51.5
Monroe County
41.8
Iowa
38.6

Dependency ratio

Low High
130
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Melrose 130
Monroe County 77.4
Iowa 69.6

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Melrose Monroe County Iowa
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 13% 23% 22.9%
Working age (18-64) 43.5% 56.4% 59%
Senior (65+) 43.5% 20.6% 18.1%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 130 77.4 69.6
Child dependency ratio 30 40.9 38.8
Old-age dependency ratio 100 36.6 30.7
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
94.8%
Black
0%
Asian
0.9%
Hispanic
0%
Other
4.3%
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

Low High
9.9%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Melrose 9.9%
Monroe County 10.1%
Iowa 31.4%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Melrose population
Racial and ethnic composition — Melrose vs Monroe County vs Iowa. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
Melrose Monroe County Iowa
Hispanic or Latino 0% 2.1% 7.3%
Mexican 0% 1% 5%
Puerto Rican 0% 0% 0.3%
Cuban 0% 0.8% 0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino 0% 0.3% 1.8%
Not Hispanic or Latino 100% 97.9% 92.7%
One race 95.7% 96.8% 89.2%
White 94.8% 94.8% 82.3%
Black or African American 0% 1.2% 3.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0.1% 0.2%
Asian 0.9% 0.5% 2.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0.2%
Some Other Race 0% 0.2% 0.3%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 4.3% 1.1% 3.5%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

71.4% family
Family 71.4%
Non family 28.6%
% family households
Melrose 71.4%
Monroe County 62.2%
Iowa 61.6%

Average household size

2.35
persons per household
Melrose
2.35
Monroe County
2.38
Iowa
2.36

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Melrose population
Melrose Monroe County Iowa
Total households 49 3,089 1,315,707
Average houshold size 2.35 2.38 2.36
Family households 35 1,920 809,836
Average family size 2.86 3.06 2.98
Married couple family 34 1,580 635,347
Other families 1 340 174,489
Male householder 0 109 56,457
Female householder 1 231 118,032
Non-family households 14 1,169 505,871
One-person households 14 1,023 406,436
Male householder 9 528 193,582
Senior (65+) living alone 2 139 58,028
Female householder 5 495 212,854
Senior (65+) living alone 5 338 111,645
Other living arrangements 0 146 99,435

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

57
housing units
Melrose 57
Monroe County 3,656
Iowa 1,437,699

Occupancy status

86% occupied
Occupied 86%
Vacant 14%
vacancy rate
Melrose 14%
Monroe County 15.5%
Iowa 8.5%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

100%
Single family houses
Single family houses
100%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
0%
Mobile homes
0%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1971
Half of houses were built before 1971, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
50.9%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
1.8%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
40.3%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
7.1%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Melrose Monroe County Iowa
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 5.8 5.6 5.9
1–3 rooms 3.5% 8.7% 11.8%
4–6 rooms 61.4% 56.9% 47.4%
7+ rooms 35% 34.5% 40.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 0% 0.2% 1.7%
1 bedroom 0% 8.8% 9.2%
2 bedrooms 31.6% 29.5% 27%
3 bedrooms 43.9% 39.2% 37.3%
4+ bedrooms 24.6% 22.2% 24.7%
At a glance
Median year built 1971 1972 1972
Total housing units 57 3,656 1,437,699
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

95.9% owners
Renter-occupied 4.1%
Owner-occupied 95.9%
homeownership rate
Melrose 95.9%
Monroe County 81.3%
Iowa 71.7%

Average household size

2.36
Owner-occupied
2
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Melrose 2.36
Monroe County 2.47
Iowa 2.5

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Melrose Monroe County Iowa
Total occupied units 49 3,089 1,315,707
Year moved in
2020 or later 10.2% 17.8% 24.3%
2010 to 2019 18.4% 35.6% 38.7%
2000 to 2009 10.2% 18.4% 16.4%
1999 or earlier 61.2% 28.1% 20.7%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 100% 98.2% 98.4%
1.01 to 1.50 0% 1.8% 1.1%
1.51 or more 0% 0% 0.5%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 0% 5.6% 5.4%
1 vehicle 26.5% 26.4% 30.5%
2 vehicles 44.9% 29.8% 37.8%
3 or more vehicles 28.6% 38.2% 26.3%
House heating fuel used
Gas 51.1% 77.8% 72.8%
Electricity 40.8% 16.7% 24.4%
Solar 0% 0% 0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0% 0% 0.3%
All other fuels 8.2% 5.3% 1.8%
No fuel used 0% 0.2% 0.6%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.6% 0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 0.6% 0.8%
No telephone service available 0% 0.9% 0.8%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$75,000
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Melrose
$75,000
Monroe County
$156,300
Iowa
$208,000

Housing Cost Burden

40%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
40%
Owners without a mortgage
31%
Renters
0%
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Melrose Monroe County Iowa
Property value
Median Value $75,000 $156,300 $208,000
Under $100,000 51.1% 28.4% 17.8%
$100,000 - $200,000 49% 34.3% 30%
$200,000 - $300,000 0% 15.9% 23.1%
$300,000 - $500,000 0% 12.8% 21.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 0% 6.9% 6.8%
$1,000,000 and more 0% 1.6% 1.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 10.6% 48.1% 59.4%
Without a mortgage 89.4% 51.9% 40.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,292 $1,241 $1,533
Without a mortgage $560 $542 $616
Gross rent
Median rent $— $798 $972

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

3.7%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Melrose 3.7%
Monroe County 21.4%
Iowa 31.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.8%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Melrose 9.8%
Monroe County 4.6%
Iowa 6.7%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

19
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
0%
K–12
94.7%
College / Undergraduate
5.3%
Graduate / Professional
0%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

0%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Melrose
0%
Monroe County
13.5%
Iowa
42.3%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Melrose Monroe County Iowa
Total enrolled (age 3+) 19 1,458 784,322
Nursery / preschool 0% 9.7% 6.2%
K–12 94.7% 81.8% 68.4%
Kindergarten 21.1% 6% 5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 5.3% 21.9% 20.3%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 15.8% 23.9% 21.3%
High School: Grades 9–12 52.6% 30% 21.6%
College or graduate school 5.3% 8.5% 25.4%
College, undergraduate 5.3% 8.5% 20.8%
Graduate, professional school 0% 0% 4.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 0% 13.5% 42.3%
School type
Public school 78.9% 94.8% 84.4%
Private school 21.1% 5.2% 15.6%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

82
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
6.1%
9th-12th, no diploma
3.7%
HS graduate
46.3%
Some college no degree
14.6%
Associates degree
25.6%
Bachelors degree
3.7%
Graduate or professional degree
0%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
80% · 20%
9th-12th, no diploma
33.3% · 66.7%
HS graduate
52.6% · 47.4%
Some college no degree
33.3% · 66.7%
Associates degree
90.5% · 9.5%
Bachelors degree
0% · 100%
Graduate or professional degree
—% · —%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Melrose Monroe County Iowa
Population (25+) 82 5,217 2,154,149
Less than 9th grade 6.1% 2.6% 2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma 3.7% 2% 4%
High school diploma or GED 46.3% 41.2% 30%
Some college, no degree 14.6% 17.9% 19.7%
Associate's degree 25.6% 15% 12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher 3.7% 21.4% 31.4%
Bachelor's degree 3.7% 13.9% 20.9%
Graduate or professional 0% 7.4% 10.5%
High School or higher 90.2% 95.4% 93.3%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$—
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
* The Census Bureau did not publish median earnings for Melrose due to an insufficient number of sample cases to produce reliable estimates.
Less than HS graduate
$—
HS graduate
$—
Some college or associates
$—
Bachelors degree
$—
Graduate or professional degree
$—

Poverty Rate

0%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
0%
HS graduate
28.9%
Some college or associates
0%
Bachelors degree or higher
0%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
* The Census Bureau did not publish median earnings and poverty rates for Melrose due to an insufficient number of sample cases to produce reliable estimates.
Melrose Monroe County Iowa
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $— $53,849 $51,106
Less than high school graduate $— $44,875 $35,996
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $— $51,432 $41,528
Some college or associate's degree $— $48,750 $47,635
Bachelor's degree $— $60,707 $62,744
Graduate or professional degree $— $61,102 $80,022
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 0% 10.3% 21.5%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 28.9% 12.9% 12.4%
Some college or associate's degree 0% 7% 8.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher 0% 2.1% 3.8%

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research Avatar
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page


			
			 	 
			 
	      
Url to be used as reference

			
				
				
		
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.