City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023

Melbourne, IA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Melbourne - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

714
Residents
$82,857
Median income
$147,400
Median home
$959
Median rent (state)

Melbourne - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Melbourne lands in the 64th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

64th
percentile, household income
26th
percentile, home value
11th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Melbourne, IA

Melbourne is a small town in Iowa, home to 714 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Melbourne brings in $82,857 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 2.7%. Melbourne's housing stock carries a median value of $147,400, and the median resident age is 39.3 years. About 19.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 71.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 0 residential units were authorized in 2024 (No Permits).

Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Iowa at 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $959 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $212 across Iowa, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 62.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).

Population

714 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Iowa

Median Household Income

$82,857 /yr

Poverty 2.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average

How does Melbourne compare to other US cities?

Where Melbourne sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 64% higher than other cities
Home value 26% pricier than other cities
Median rent 11% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Melbourne against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Iowa only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Iowa-relative analysis

Poverty Rate sits close to the middle of Iowa's city distribution

Among the 858 Iowa cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Melbourne ranks #631 - the 26th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Melbourne only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#155 of 845
82nd percentile in Iowa
Median Gross Rent
#355 of 858
57th percentile in Iowa
Median Home Value
#282 of 849
67th percentile in Iowa
Poverty Rate
#631 of 858
26th percentile in Iowa
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#368 of 858
57th percentile in Iowa

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Iowa only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

64thIncome percentile

64th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Melbourne's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$147,400 Among the most affordable more affordable than 74% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Melbourne $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Melbourne, IA Melbourne, IA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Melbourne, IA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Melbourne, IA median $82,857/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Melbourne, IA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Melbourne, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 19.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 71.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
714
Median Income
$82,857
Median Home Value
$147,400
Median Age
39.3
Poverty Rate
2.7%
Labor force participation
71.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
19.4%

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
750 residents760 residents770 residents780 residents790 residents800 residents 202020212022202320242025 788 residents 760 residents ▼ -3.6%
Melbourne's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
82.0%
Carpool
7.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
8.7%

Based on 378 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Iowa - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$75
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$212
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Iowa state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Iowa state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Melbourne sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$959/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
62.5 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Iowa

Wellsburg
710 people
Armstrong
709 people
Ventura
708 people
Long Grove
707 people
Ainsworth
723 people
University Park
704 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Melbourne's 714 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Allenhurst, GA
714 people
Saybrook, IL
714 people
Hickory Flat, MS
714 people
Nelsonville, NY
714 people
Tekoa, WA
714 people
Laytonville, CA
713 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Melbourne's $82,857 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Varnell, GA
$82,857 median income
St. Libory, NE
$82,857 median income
Addison, TX
$82,858 median income
Northview, MI
$82,853 median income
Lititz, PA
$82,861 median income
Westfield, MA
$82,847 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Melbourne, IA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Melbourne, IA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 98.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1.0% White 98.2% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.4% Two or more races 1.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Melbourne compares to nearby Iowa cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Melbourne (this city) 714 $82,857
Wellsburg 710 $63,125
Armstrong 709 $52,279
Ventura 708 $83,125
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Melbourne, IA?

What is the population of Melbourne, IA? +

The population of Melbourne, IA stands at 714 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Melbourne, IA? +

Median annual household income in Melbourne runs $82,857, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Melbourne? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Melbourne; the closest available measure is the Iowa state average, a cost of living index of 87.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Iowa vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Melbourne, IA? +

The median home value in Melbourne is $147,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.