MelroseIA
A town of 108, settled in 1878.
Is Melrose a good place to live?
Melrose’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, against 19 minutes in Iowa’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Melrose. Melrose has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
108 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Melrose: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Melrose, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Melrose.
High risk in Melrose, with drought at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Melrose since 1982.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, more of Melrose’s households own their home
96% of households own their home in Melrose, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%. Typical home values rose 9.9% in the year to September 2026.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Melrose has four seasons and pleasant summers
Melrose has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 14° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Melrose is
Melrose beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 40% of adults have high blood pressure in Melrose.
| Melrose | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Melrose | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 77.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.9% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Melrose has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
0.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Blarney Stone Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Melrose
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Melrose; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Melrose residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Questions about Melrose
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Melrose, IA a good place to live?
Melrose has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.