Melvin is a city in

Osceola County, Iowa Osceola County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census the population was 6,192, making it the state's fifth-least populous county. It is named for Seminole war chief Osceola. The county seat is Sibley, named ...

, United States. The population was 199 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

Melvin had its start in the year 1900 by the building of the Gowrie branch of the

Rock Island Railroad The original Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At ...

through that territory. Former location of the famous MARVIN robot, created by Iowa Precision Robotics in 1983. http://cyberneticzoo.com/tag/iowa-precision-robotics-ltd/

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 199 people, 95 households, and 54 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 1,225.4 inhabitants per square mile (473.1/km²). There were 117 housing units at an average density of 720.5 per square mile (278.2/km²). The

racial Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of va ...

makeup of the city was 88.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.0% Black or African American, 0.0% Native American, 0.0% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 4.0% from other races and 7.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

persons of any race comprised 11.6% of the population. Of the 95 households, 18.9% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.3% were cohabitating couples, 27.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 25.3% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 43.2% of all households were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 50.8 years. 20.6% of the residents were under the age of 20; 4.5% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 20.1% were from 25 and 44; 31.7% were from 45 and 64; and 23.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 54.3% male and 45.7% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 214 people, 109 households, and 63 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 130 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.7%

, 1.4% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 109 households, of which 18.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were

living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.2% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.96 and the average family size was 2.48. The median age in the city was 51.1 years. 14.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.7% were from 25 to 44; 40.2% were from 45 to 64; and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 243 people, 117 households, and 67 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 134 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.18%

and 0.82% Native American. There were 117 households, out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were

living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 27.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.82. 19.3% are under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 33.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,750, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $25,250 versus $18,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,827. About 2.9% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 18.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 7.9% of those 65 or over.

Education

Melvin is served by the

Hartley–Melvin–Sanborn Community School District The Hartley–Melvin–Sanborn (H-M-S) Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Hartley, Iowa. The district is located in portions of O'Brien and Osceola counties, with a small section in Dickinson County. ...

, which formed on July 1, 1991, with the merger of the Hartley–Melvin and Sanborn districts. The predecessor Hartley–Melvin district formed on July 1, 1981, through the merger of the

Hartley Hartley may refer to: Places Australia *Hartley, New South Wales * Hartley, South Australia ** Electoral district of Hartley, a state electoral district Canada * Hartley Bay, British Columbia United Kingdom * Hartley, Cumbria * Hartley, P ...

and

Melvin Melvin is a masculine given name and surname, likely a variant of Melville and a descendant of the French surname de Maleuin and the later Melwin. It may alternatively be spelled as Melvyn or, in Welsh, Melfyn and the name Melivinia or Melva may b ...

districts.REORGANIZATION & DISSOLUTION ACTIONS SINCE 1965-66
"

Iowa Department of Education The Iowa Department of Education sets the standards for all public institutions of education in Iowa and accredits private as well as public schools. It is headquartered in Des Moines. Organization As of 2020, the Iowa Department of Education c ...

. Retrieved on February 25, 2019. Currently there are no school facilities in Melvin, not since Hartley and Melvin combined schools in 1980.

Hartley–Melvin–Sanborn High School The Hartley–Melvin–Sanborn High School is a rural public high school located in Hartley, Iowa. It is part of the Hartley–Melvin–Sanborn Community School District. The school's mascot is the Hawk and athletic competitions take place in ...

is the zoned high school.

References

{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Osceola County, Iowa