City · Iowa
Melcher-Dallas, Iowa
Melcher-Dallas, city, in Marion County, Iowa. Melcher-Dallas had 1,196 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,195 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,176 (±262). GEOID 1950935.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,196
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,195 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,176 ±262
Median household income
$58,611
±$14,472 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$99,800
±$22,321 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$789
±$173 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Melcher-Dallas and what county is it in?
Melcher-Dallas is a city in Marion County, Iowa. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 1,149 residents per square mile in 2020.
Melcher-Dallas is in the Pella, IA micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Melcher-Dallas, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,196 people lived in Melcher-Dallas on July 1, 2025, down 0.3% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 1,195 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,176 (±262).
| Measure | Melcher-Dallas | Marion County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,176 ±262 | 33,642 | no clear change |
| Households | 448 ±87 | 13,316 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.63 ±0.32 | 2.40 | +0.50 |
| Housing units | 513 ±85 | 14,386 | no clear change |
Melcher-Dallas's population since 2000
From 1,298 in 2000 to 1,196 in 2025: down 7.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Melcher-Dallas as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Melcher-Dallas?
The median resident of Melcher-Dallas is 34.1 years old; 26.4% are under 18 and 16.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.8%.
| Measure | Melcher-Dallas | Marion County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.1 ±7.6 | 39.9 | −11.2 |
| Under 18 years | 26.4% ±5.3 pts | 23.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.2% ±6.0 pts | 19.4% | – |
| Male | 53.7% ±5.6 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.8% ±4.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.5% ±4.8 pts | 93.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 1.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±1.5 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.8% ±2.8 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.9% ±3.0 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.3% ±3.9 pts | 5.7% | – |
| With a disability | 13.1% ±4.9 pts | 13.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.6% ±2.9 pts | 2.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.1% ±3.2 pts | 94.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.1% ±10.1 pts | 32.1% | +12.2 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.6% ±2.5 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.8% ±5.8 pts | 87.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.1% ±3.5 pts | 1.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Melcher-Dallas earn?
Half of Melcher-Dallas's 448 households earn less than $58,611 a year (±$14,472), against $78,680 in Marion County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $47,518 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Melcher-Dallas | Marion County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,611 ±$14,472 | $78,680 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $68,668 ±$10,111 | $100,547 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,515 ±$3,785 | $40,274 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 13.6% ±7.3 pts | 8.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 11.3% ±11.6 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.6% ±8.7 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.2% ±4.2 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.1% ±6.2 pts | 88.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Melcher-Dallas?
Owners occupy 79.2% of Melcher-Dallas's occupied homes and renters 20.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $99,800 by its owner (±$22,321). The median renter pays $789 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Melcher-Dallas | Marion County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $99,800 ±$22,321 | $233,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $789 ±$173 | $884 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 22.6% ±34.4 pts | 31.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,003 ±$290 | $1,546 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 79.2% ±8.1 pts | 77.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 20.8% ±8.1 pts | 22.3% | – |
| Housing units | 513 ±85 | 14,386 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.8% ±14.4 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 92.4% ±4.5 pts | 77.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.9% ±3.3 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.8% ±1.0 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 48.3% ±9.3 pts | 20.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.1% ±1.5 pts | 3.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Melcher-Dallas building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Melcher-Dallas in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Melcher-Dallas work and get to work?
82.3% of Melcher-Dallas's workers drive alone and 9.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 26.5 minutes.
| Measure | Melcher-Dallas | Marion County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.3% ±8.4 pts | 65.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% ±7.3 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 82.3% ±7.1 pts | 78.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.0% ±5.1 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±4.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 9.6% ±5.7 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.5 min ±3.6 | 21.0 min | −8.2 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Melcher-Dallas?
No census tract lies mostly in Melcher-Dallas; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 306Marion County | 2,604 | $76,667 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Melcher-Dallas) · Census block assignment files
How does Melcher-Dallas compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Melcher-Dallas is the 9,603rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 241st-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Melcher-Dallas ranks 228th of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 241st | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 129th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 114th | 279 |
| Median household income | 228th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 268th | 279 |
| Median home value | 265th | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 173rd | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 67th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 169th | 279 |
| Median age | 250th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 82nd | 279 |
| Work from home | 105th | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 25th | 279 |
Melcher-Dallas's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Melcher-Dallas with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Melcher-Dallas?
23 of the 57 figures for Melcher-Dallas on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Melcher-Dallas are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Melcher-Dallas.