Population 740 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Menlo
Household size in Menlo
| Period | Menlo | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.55 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.33 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.40 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Menlo run small, averaging 2.40 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.55, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Menlo
| Period | Menlo | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.2 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.8 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.4 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.1 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.9 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Menlo skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Menlo
| Period | Menlo | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.7% of households in Menlo, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Menlo
Renters in Menlo
| Period | Menlo | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.6% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.4% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Menlo is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 10.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over four in ten owners (42.1%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Menlo
| Period | Menlo | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +13.7 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Menlo: 20.3% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Menlo
| Period | Menlo | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1943 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1952 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +30 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Housing in Menlo leans older: the median home dates to 1973, against 1980 nationally.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Menlo
| Period | Menlo | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $619 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $454 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $498 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $516 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$103 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Menlo runs $516 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 13.7% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Menlo
Bachelor's degrees in Menlo
| Period | Menlo | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.9% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.3% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.2 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Menlo than nationally: 28.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Menlo
| Period | Menlo | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.5% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.9% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.0% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.7% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Menlo: 94.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Menlo
| Period | Menlo | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.0% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.8% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.3%, unemployment in Menlo is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the wider Des Moines area (4.5%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Menlo compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menlo | 2.40 | 47.1 | 2.7% | 10.9% | 20.3% | 1973 | $516 | 28.3% | 94.7% | 5.3% |
| Stuart | 2.16 | 42.5 | 8.9% | 20.2% | 10.2% | 1962 | $754 | 16.2% | 93.7% | 4.0% |
| Casey | 2.36 | 47.6 | 4.4% | 13.3% | 9.1% | 1953 | $809 | 19.9% | 95.0% | 2.0% |
| Dale | 2.40 | 47.3 | 2.5% | 10.4% | 23.3% | 1973 | $583 | 30.7% | 95.7% | 5.1% |
| Howe | 2.22 | 43.2 | 7.0% | 23.3% | 9.5% | 1973 | $818 | 14.5% | 91.0% | 0.7% |
| Monteith | 2.36 | 46.3 | 4.3% | 13.0% | 21.5% | 1969 | $567 | 28.2% | 94.6% | 4.3% |
| Dexter | 2.60 | 45.4 | 4.5% | 11.7% | 9.6% | 1982 | $788 | 40.3% | 96.6% | 3.2% |
| Linden | 2.53 | 43.7 | 6.2% | 15.5% | 10.9% | 1963 | $1,304 | 28.7% | 95.5% | 5.8% |
| Guthrie Center | 2.34 | 39.1 | 9.8% | 20.3% | 14.2% | 1952 | $838 | 21.2% | 92.7% | 1.1% |
| Redfield | 2.57 | 36.7 | 17.1% | 13.3% | 9.4% | 1944 | $908 | 20.2% | 93.4% | 4.4% |
| Panora | 2.37 | 44.9 | 11.0% | 17.3% | 27.6% | 1975 | $1,028 | 26.6% | 97.2% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Limestone, WV · Salem, NC · Safe, MO · Ruma, IL · Rowena, MO · Rose Hill, MS · Roaring Branch, PA · Line Lexington, PA · Lind, WA · Saltillo, TN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Menlo. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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