Population 5,374 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Rock Valley
Household size in Rock Valley
| Period | Rock Valley | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.63 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.70 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.80 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.18 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Rock Valley holds 2.80 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.63, even as the national average fell. Of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people, only two have larger households.
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 Valley
| Period | Rock Valley | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.7 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.9 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.7 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Rock Valley are younger than 39.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 36.2 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the southeast.
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 Valley
| Period | Rock Valley | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Rock Valley than nationally: 9.0%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Iowa. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 4.9 points, even as the national share fell.
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 Valley
Renters in Rock Valley
| Period | Rock Valley | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.7% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.6% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +14.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Rock Valley is about as common as it is nationally: 36.6% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Iowa as a whole (28.3%). Nearly six in ten owners (56.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 14.9 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Valley
| Period | Rock Valley | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.1% of homes in Rock Valley are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 1.3 points, as it has nationally. Rock Valley has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Iowa cities.
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 Valley
| Period | Rock Valley | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1967 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Rock Valley run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1960 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the center, while the northeast has the oldest housing.
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 Valley
| Period | Rock Valley | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $517 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $685 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $623 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,147 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$631 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Rock Valley costs $1,147 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Iowa overall ($1,020). Rent has climbed $631 a month since 2006–10, up 122%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 23.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Valley
Bachelor's degrees in Rock Valley
| Period | Rock Valley | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.2% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rock Valley have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has edged down 1.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people, only seven have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Valley
| Period | Rock Valley | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.7% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.0% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.3% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.6% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Rock Valley never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 4.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people, only nine have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Valley
| Period | Rock Valley | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 0.6% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 0.1% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Rock Valley has been strong: just 0.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. No other Iowa city with 5,000+ people has lower unemployment. 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 Valley 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 Valley | 2.80 | 39.9 | 9.0% | 36.6% | 5.1% | 1973 | $1,147 | 17.3% | 87.6% | 0.5% |
| Perkins | 2.87 | 41.0 | 8.4% | 15.1% | 4.4% | 1972 | $863 | 28.1% | 93.6% | 0.0% |
| Doon | 2.83 | 35.5 | 2.9% | 15.9% | 8.0% | 1964 | $625 | 16.6% | 95.8% | 6.0% |
| Hull | 2.80 | 35.8 | 8.5% | 14.0% | 3.5% | 1976 | $1,020 | 21.0% | 90.7% | 2.0% |
| Hudson | 2.32 | 47.7 | 9.7% | 14.0% | 6.2% | 1941 | $885 | 16.8% | 92.0% | 0.5% |
| Sioux Center | 2.61 | 30.7 | 3.9% | 24.5% | 3.3% | 1980 | $868 | 39.7% | 90.9% | 1.1% |
| Inwood | 2.73 | 35.8 | 3.1% | 13.3% | 4.9% | 1971 | $985 | 16.4% | 93.9% | 1.4% |
| Alvord | 2.86 | 36.5 | 3.1% | 14.1% | 4.9% | 1957 | $704 | 13.9% | 96.1% | 4.1% |
| Fairview | 2.44 | 45.2 | 8.0% | 13.5% | 6.2% | 1946 | $870 | 16.3% | 91.8% | 0.3% |
| Ireton | 2.87 | 38.7 | 1.7% | 6.3% | 14.2% | 1965 | $1,078 | 26.4% | 93.7% | 0.2% |
| Boyden | 2.84 | 36.7 | 5.5% | 9.9% | 3.6% | 1960 | $767 | 22.0% | 94.9% | 0.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Morrison, TN · Neptune City, NJ · Nashport, OH · Mount Vernon, IA · Mount Sterling, OH · Mount Plymouth, FL · Mount Pleasant, UT · Mount Olive, AL · Mount Gilead, NC · Mount Ephraim, NJ
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 Valley. 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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