Population 1,236 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Merrill
Household size in Merrill
| Period | Merrill | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.61 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.13 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
At 2.61 people per household, Merrill sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in Iowa overall, where it has 2.43 people. Household size has climbed from 2.49 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Merrill
| Period | Merrill | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.3 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.9 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.0 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.2 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Merrill skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.2, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Merrill
| Period | Merrill | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.5% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Merrill: 7.9% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Merrill
Renters in Merrill
| Period | Merrill | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.6% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 14.6% of households in Merrill rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About four in ten owners (41.0%) 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 Merrill
| Period | Merrill | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.1% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Merrill: 13.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Merrill
| Period | Merrill | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1951 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1967 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1958 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Merrill is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1958, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Merrill
| Period | Merrill | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $573 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $673 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $773 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $721 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$149 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Merrill runs $721 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 20.1% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Merrill
Bachelor's degrees in Merrill
| Period | Merrill | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.8% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.6% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Merrill have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.6%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Merrill
| Period | Merrill | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.0% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.1% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.0% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.4% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Merrill: 94.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Iowa.
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 Merrill
| Period | Merrill | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.3% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.7% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Merrill has been low: just 2.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Merrill 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrill | 2.61 | 42.2 | 7.9% | 14.6% | 13.0% | 1958 | $721 | 16.6% | 94.4% | 2.0% |
| West Le Mars | 2.33 | 37.7 | 3.9% | 34.6% | 6.9% | 1975 | $961 | 15.8% | 93.4% | 0.7% |
| Le Mars | 2.42 | 38.9 | 11.3% | 37.4% | 5.7% | 1974 | $952 | 21.4% | 94.2% | 2.7% |
| Brunsville | 2.68 | 32.2 | 15.3% | 16.3% | 2.9% | 1962 | $1,348 | 27.5% | 99.6% | 3.3% |
| Hinton | 2.59 | 47.9 | 5.0% | 15.0% | 2.8% | 1988 | $976 | 24.4% | 96.2% | 0.9% |
| Neptune | 2.58 | 46.8 | 5.4% | 16.4% | 4.3% | 1978 | $889 | 23.1% | 95.7% | 1.7% |
| Ruble | 2.60 | 36.0 | 14.4% | 18.4% | 3.3% | 1963 | $1,213 | 25.5% | 98.9% | 2.3% |
| Millnerville | 2.51 | 49.5 | 1.5% | 14.8% | 3.1% | 1979 | $646 | 20.0% | 93.8% | 0.3% |
| Union Center | 3.00 | 41.1 | 10.2% | 5.6% | 9.9% | 1954 | $761 | 12.2% | 94.8% | 4.5% |
| Struble | 2.27 | 45.6 | 4.2% | 17.6% | 14.5% | 1958 | $865 | 27.4% | 95.8% | 0.8% |
| Oyens | 2.79 | 41.0 | 9.0% | 15.2% | 7.6% | 1959 | $834 | 19.5% | 96.6% | 1.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Winthrop, IA · Wares Crossroads, VA · La Plata, NM · Kiona, WA · Warfield, KY · Johnson, WA · Wayne, ME · West Layton, UT · West Leechburg, PA · Wilmot, NH
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 Merrill. 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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