Interstate 80 - Iowa, 2014
Menlo’s story
157 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1869Menlo is settled
MenloIA
A town of 346, settled in 1869.
Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
346
2025 Census estimate · +0.3% since 2020
Typical home
$229K
+6.3% in a year
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
43.6
years
Jobs based here
48
A commuter town
Is Menlo a good place to live?
Menlo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
346 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Menlo: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Menlo, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterXenia RWD (Des Moines)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Menlo’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereGuthrie County AuditorGuthrie County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5016450164 100%Census 2020
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 Menlo.
Work & commute
A smaller share of working residents in Menlo work locally than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
Half the trips to work are shorter than 20 miles. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Menlo rose by 22, to 48. In Menlo, the average commute is 21 minutes, where Iowa’s towns sit at 19 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Among residents here, 5.3% live below the poverty line.
2%work in town
| Menlo | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.3% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Menlo2%
Guthrie Center19%
Stuart6%
Adair5%
West Des Moines4%
20 mi
median commute distance
48
jobs based in Menlo
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Menlo
Expect July afternoons of 85° and January nights of 12°, with about 26 inches of snow a winter.
26″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–33°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–83°
Fall40–62°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Menlo is
Menlo: a third of adults sleep under 7 hours, against 32% in Iowa’s towns and 36% across U.S. towns. Just over a fifth of Menlo adults binge drink. Two figures for adults locally: 76% had a checkup this year, 10% have diabetes.
| Menlo | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Guthrie County Hospital
12.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The typical home in Menlo: about $229K
Only 8 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher home-ownership rate than Menlo. Home values are up 6.3% over the year to September 2026.
$229KZillow home value
Typical home value
Menlo$229K
Iowa$237K
+6.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Menlo: inland flooding
Expected losses in Menlo break down as 32% from inland flooding and 31% from tornadoes. Compared with half of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2010.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Menlo
17pages on Menlo
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Menlo; the nearest are
Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical CenterUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · West Des Moines30.4 miSouthwestern Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Creston31 mi$8,064 in-state tuitionIowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames52.2 mi$10,787 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Menlo residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Menlo for work
Where Menlo’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
48jobs based in Menlo
2%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Menlo
City in Iowa, USA
Menlo is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 345 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1869
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,260 ft
- ZIP code
- 50164
Questions about Menlo
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Menlo, IA a good place to live?
Menlo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.