Population
139 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Iowa
City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023
Melrose, IA
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Melrose - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 139
- Residents
- $56,250
- Median income
- $919
- Median rent (state)
Melrose - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Melrose places in the 29th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
- 29th
- percentile, household income
- 6th
- 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: Melrose, IA
Iowa's Melrose is a small town, with 139 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Melrose households earn a median of $56,250 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.8%. The median resident age is 51.8 years. Educational attainment runs 4.1% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 21.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
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). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $919 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $212 across Iowa, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 10.3 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
Median Household Income
$56,250 /yr
Poverty 12.8%
Cost of Living Index (state)
87.8 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average
How does Melrose compare to other US cities?
Where Melrose sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 29% higher than other cities
Median rent 6% 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
For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Melrose's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Iowa, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
29th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 4.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 12.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 21.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
139
Median Income
$56,250
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
51.8
Poverty Rate
12.8%
Labor force participation
21.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
4.1%
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
77.8%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
22.2%
Work from Home
0.0%
Based on 27 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 Melrose sits in
Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$919/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
10.3 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Iowa
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Melrose's 139 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Melrose's $56,250 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Melrose 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Melrose (this city) | 139 | $56,250 |
| Welton | 139 | $76,250 |
| Barnes City | 140 | $47,813 |
| Kinross | 140 | $63,750 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Melrose, IA?
What is the population of Melrose, IA? +
Melrose, IA has a population of 139 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Melrose, IA? +
Median annual household income in Melrose runs $56,250, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Melrose? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Melrose; 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.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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 EditorialEvery 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.