City · Iowa
Menlo, Iowa
Menlo, city, in Guthrie County, Iowa. Menlo had 346 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 345 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 398 (±125). GEOID 1951105.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
346
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 345 · ACS 2020-2024: 398 ±125
Median household income
$77,396
±$8,538 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$107,100
±$20,063 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
not published
Iowa: $972
Where is Menlo and what county is it in?
Menlo is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa. It covers 0.5 square miles of land, 696 residents per square mile in 2020.
Menlo is in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (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 Menlo, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 346 people lived in Menlo on July 1, 2025, up 0.3% since 2020, slower than Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 345 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 398 (±125).
| Measure | Menlo | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 398 ±125 | 10,688 | no clear change |
| Households | 157 ±41 | 4,600 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.54 ±0.49 | 2.29 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 192 ±51 | 5,808 | no clear change |
Menlo's population since 2000
From 365 in 2000 to 346 in 2025: down 5.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Menlo 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 Menlo?
The median resident of Menlo is 43.6 years old; 18.6% are under 18 and 16.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 8.8%.
| Measure | Menlo | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.6 ±10.7 | 46.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.6% ±11.5 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.1% ±7.2 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Male | 55.8% ±7.7 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.3% ±5.1 pts | 3.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.9% ±8.6 pts | 92.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 8.8% ±7.9 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.0% ±3.3 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±6.3 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.1% ±4.3 pts | 7.1% | – |
| With a disability | 19.1% ±11.5 pts | 12.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.0% ±4.9 pts | 3.1% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.6% ±6.3 pts | 95.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 8.6% ±5.3 pts | 25.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.4% ±1.3 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.9% ±4.5 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 1.2% | – |
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 Menlo earn?
Half of Menlo's 157 households earn less than $77,396 a year (±$8,538), against $77,711 in Guthrie County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 the median was $65,227 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $12,169 after inflation.
| Measure | Menlo | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,396 ±$8,538 | $77,711 | +$12,169 |
| Mean household income | $83,803 ±$16,474 | $100,744 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,185 ±$5,885 | $43,480 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.3% ±3.8 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.1% ±10.6 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.2% ±11.1 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.4% ±6.1 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.4% ±8.3 pts | 89.3% | – |
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 Menlo?
Owners occupy 88.5% of Menlo's occupied homes and renters 11.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $107,100 by its owner (±$20,063).
| Measure | Menlo | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $107,100 ±$20,063 | $180,100 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 11.8% ±16.9 pts | 34.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,477 ±$272 | $1,459 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 88.5% ±8.1 pts | 84.0% | +13.8 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 11.5% ±8.1 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Housing units | 192 ±51 | 5,808 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.7% ±4.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 30.8% ±32.0 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 87.5% ±8.2 pts | 91.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.6% ±3.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±12.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.6% ±2.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 57.3% ±10.8 pts | 36.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.0% ±6.9 pts | 4.0% | – |
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 Menlo building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Menlo 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 Menlo work and get to work?
77.8% of Menlo's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.4 minutes.
| Measure | Menlo | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 80.1% ±9.1 pts | 62.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 16.0% ±12.0 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 77.8% ±9.9 pts | 76.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.4% ±3.6 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±11.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 6.4% ±6.4 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.3% ±7.6 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.4 min ±3.0 | 27.1 min | −7.4 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 Menlo?
No census tract lies mostly in Menlo; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9503Guthrie County | 4,525 | $80,257 |
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 Menlo) · Census block assignment files
How does Menlo compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Menlo is the 14,651st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 529th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Menlo is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 529th | 939 |
Menlo's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Menlo 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 Menlo?
27 of the 56 figures for Menlo 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 Menlo 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 Menlo.