Manilla is working to bolster its declining population by providing free land and property tax abatements to attract new residents.
Geography
Manilla is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all land.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 776 people, 337 households, and 214 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 369 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 97.9% White, 0.1% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population. There were 337 households of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couplesliving together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.5% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.74. The median age in the city was 47.7 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.5% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 26.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 839 people, 337 households, and 222 families living in the city. The population density was 1,059.2 people per square mile. There were 369 housing units at an average density of 465.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 97.74% White, 0.24% African American, 0.36% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population. There were 337 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 27.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males. The median income for a household was $31,146, and the median income for a family was $37,625. Males had a median income of $27,292 versus $16,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,011. About 10.5% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Manilla is served by the IKM-Manning Community School District. The district previously operated a middle school in Manilla but it closed in 2014; at the time the district continued to have its headquarters there. The Manilla Community School District was formed as a consolidation of various area school districts in 1889, and a four classroom building served as the first school in the city. A new school building funded by a $45,000 bond opened in 1915. In 1956 the school was renamed the Manilla Community School. On July 1, 1992, the Manilla district merged into the IKM Community School District. That in turn, on July 1, 2011, merged into IKM-Manning.
