City safety & data profile

RollaMO

Rolla, MO is a 20K-resident city in Phelps County with a median household income of $46,204.

Phelps County, Missouri. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Rolla, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Rolla has a population larger than 44% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $187,000, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

20K
Population
Top 56%
By size
$46,204
Median income
$187,000
Median home
23.6%
Poverty rate

The read on Rolla

Rolla posts a median household income higher than 5% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Rolla area.

Top 95%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Rolla

Where Rolla income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$46,204 Bottom 5% higher than 5% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MO $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Rolla, MO beyond the headline numbers

Rolla sits inside Phelps County, Missouri, at roughly 37.95°N, -91.77°W. Population 20,019, $46,204 median household income. Median home value $187,000, median rent $789. Poverty rate 23.6%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Rolla's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 40.6%, then obesity at 34.6%. 1 hospital in/around Rolla, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Rolla from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
20,019
Rolla
Median Income
$46,204
-32% vs avg
Median Home Value
$187,000
-18% vs avg
Median Age
28.2
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Phelps County) - Rolla's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
45K+1%
Median Income
$58,396+39%
Median Home Value
$206,500+85%
Poverty Rate
16.8%-7%
Unemployment
3.9%-49%

Economics

Economics indicators for Rolla, MO
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$789/mo
Poverty Rate
23.6% +66% vs avg
Unemployment 4.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 35.6%
Work From Home 6.3%
Public Transit 0.2%

Population

White 81.2%
African American 4.9%
Asian 7.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 2%

Health Profile 14 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
40.6%
Obesity
34.6%
High Blood Pressure
31.1%
Physical Inactivity
30.5%
Frequent Mental Distress
21.3%
Binge Drinking
17.9%
Current Smoking
17.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.4%
Current Asthma
10.7%
Lack of Health Insurance
10.5%

Preventive Care

Annual Checkup 73.6%

Other Measures

Diabetes
10%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.9%
Stroke
3.2%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
PHELPS COUNTY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
ROLLA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Rolla, MO? ▼
Rolla, MO has a population of 20,019 people, located in Phelps County, Missouri.
What is the median household income in Rolla? ▼
The median household income in Rolla, MO is $46,204 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 23.6%.
What is the median home value in Rolla? ▼
The median home value in Rolla, MO is $187,000. Median rent is $789/month.
What are the top health concerns in Rolla? ▼
The top health indicators in Rolla include Short Sleep Duration (40.6%), Obesity (34.6%), High Blood Pressure (31.1%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Rolla? ▼
Rolla has 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Rolla? ▼
The median age in Rolla, MO is 28.2 years. 35.6% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Rolla, MO is located in Phelps County, Missouri. With a population of 20K and a $46,204 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Rolla area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Missouri

Real-time AQI for every monitored Missouri location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Fort Leonard Wood, MO 15K Jefferson City, MO 43K Union, MO 11K Fulton, MO 13K Lebanon, MO 15K Washington, MO 14K Columbia, MO 129K Mexico, MO 12K
All cities in Missouri → Compare Rolla vs Fort Leonard Wood → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Rolla's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Rolla area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Rolla against Missouri peers on any ranking lens. Explore Missouri

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Phelps County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.