Population 3,950 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rock Rapids
Household size in Rock Rapids
| Period | Rock Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.95 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.51 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Rock Rapids is a place of big households: 2.95 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.44, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Rock Rapids
| Period | Rock Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.2 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.1 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.5 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.3 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Rock Rapids is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.5, 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 Rock Rapids
| Period | Rock Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.8% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Rock Rapids: 7.4% 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 Rock Rapids
Renters in Rock Rapids
| Period | Rock Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.2% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.7% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.7% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Rock Rapids is largely a place of homeowners: only 23.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than a third of owners (36.0%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%.
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 Rock Rapids
| Period | Rock Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Rock Rapids than nationally: 13.1%, against 9.6%. 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 Rock Rapids
| Period | Rock Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Rock Rapids is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The picture is much the same across Iowa.
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 Rock Rapids
| Period | Rock Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $499 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $509 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $521 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $758 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$259 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Rock Rapids pays $758 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 23.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Rock Rapids
Bachelor's degrees in Rock Rapids
| Period | Rock Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.0% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.4% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rock Rapids have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.3%, 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 Rock Rapids
| Period | Rock Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.6% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.0% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.4% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.4% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.8 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Rock Rapids: 95.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Rock Rapids
| Period | Rock Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.1% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Rock Rapids has been strong: just 2.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Rock Rapids 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Rapids | 2.95 | 37.5 | 7.4% | 23.7% | 13.1% | 1968 | $758 | 21.3% | 95.4% | 2.5% |
| Lester | 3.05 | 37.5 | 5.3% | 16.1% | 18.2% | 1962 | $867 | 13.6% | 96.6% | 0.0% |
| Alvord | 2.86 | 36.5 | 3.1% | 14.1% | 4.9% | 1957 | $704 | 13.9% | 96.1% | 4.1% |
| Steen | 2.40 | 41.5 | 6.2% | 17.8% | 7.8% | 1955 | $838 | 21.7% | 93.3% | 3.2% |
| Doon | 2.83 | 35.5 | 2.9% | 15.9% | 8.0% | 1964 | $625 | 16.6% | 95.8% | 6.0% |
| George | 2.25 | 46.7 | 7.3% | 20.7% | 4.7% | 1954 | $848 | 21.5% | 93.4% | 1.9% |
| Kanaranzi | 2.48 | 42.1 | 7.5% | 14.4% | 7.0% | 1955 | $722 | 18.9% | 93.3% | 1.5% |
| Ellsworth | 2.68 | 40.2 | 3.5% | 17.7% | 6.9% | 1951 | $793 | 15.9% | 96.5% | 0.6% |
| Hills | 2.31 | 40.8 | 4.0% | 21.7% | 8.9% | 1955 | $985 | 24.8% | 93.9% | 5.1% |
| Larchwood | 2.78 | 34.1 | 5.7% | 19.7% | 6.9% | 1981 | $867 | 28.3% | 96.7% | 1.0% |
| Little Rock | 2.48 | 48.1 | 7.8% | 11.2% | 6.7% | 1960 | $692 | 16.1% | 96.4% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rising Fawn, GA · Abingdon, IL · Montrose, NY · Norwich, VT · Osseo, WI · Redland, AL · Reno, TX · Richmond, MN · Ridgeley, WV · Mill Spring, NC
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 Rock Rapids. 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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