RollaMO
A town of 20,287, settled in 1844. A regional job hub with 11,751 jobs.
Population
20,287
+2% since 2010
Typical home
$243K
+4.5% in a year
Household income
$46K
median
Jobs based here
11,751
A job hub
What makes Rolla stand out The 3 things Rolla does most differently from other towns.
College town
26% of Rolla is in college
Residents weigh in
Rolla is #8 of 256 in MO for “Shortest commute”. Fair?
Agree Disagree
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In the news: Phelps Health Medical Clinic And Hospital Tops Out ED Addition In Rol… → How do you get to work from Rolla? → What’s your favorite trail or park in Rolla? → Is Rolla still affordable for young families? →
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar. Add an event
The data Ordered by what stands out in Rolla. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Rolla About one in 3 of Rolla’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Columbia (4%), St. James (4%) and Jefferson City (3%). Half commute less than 9 miles.
39% work in town
Where working residents work In Rolla 39%
Columbia 4%
St. James 4%
Jefferson City 3%
Springfield 1%
9 mi
median commute distance
11,751
jobs based in Rolla
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Outdoors
6.2% of Rolla is conserved land 5.1 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves.
6.2% conserved
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below 6.2%
conserved · 476 of 7,729 acres
5.1 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
#26
most conserved land in MO
Biggest places to walk Trails Acres 1. Lions Club Park 4.1 mi 173 2. Ber Juan Park 0.4 mi 84 3. Ponzer Park — 58
Housing
A typical Rolla home is worth about $243K The typical Rolla home is worth about $243,000, up 4.5% in a year, 9% below the Missouri typical home.
$243K Zillow home value
Typical home value Rolla $243K
Missouri $268K
Market temperature
Seller’s market A seller's market Buyer’s Seller’s +4.5%
value change, 1 year
Schools
Rolla’s public schools outperform 62% of Missouri districts The public schools Rolla’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 62% of Missouri’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B School Grade
Safety
Less crime per resident than 16% of U.S. towns Rolla reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 84% report less.
C− Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents Rolla 3.6
Missouri 4.3
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents Rolla 22
Missouri 16.9
U.S. 15.5
16th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
23rd
percentile among MO towns
76
violent crimes reported in 2025
459
property crimes reported in 2025
Health
Healthier than 35% of U.S. towns Rolla beats the Missouri average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
C+ Health Grade
32 measures vs. Missouri
What stands out Rolla MO Fewer adults who have had cancer 6.3% 8.6% Fewer adults with arthritis 23.3% 28.8% More adults without reliable transportation 13.1% 8.4%
Phelps County Regional Medical Center
1.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
65th
percentile among MO towns
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 21% of U.S. communities.
21 risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
21 Low risk Lower Higher Inland flooding Heat waves Cold waves
61
paid flood claims since 1979
8
federal disasters paid out here
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers Rolla has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
17″ snow a winter
Typical low → high °F Winter 25–45°
Spring 44–67°
Summer 64–86°
Fall 46–68°
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
A job hub Every workday, about 8,936 people come to Rolla for work Where Rolla’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4% → Columbia Columbia 4%
4% → St. James St. James 4%
3% → Jefferson City Jefferson City 3%
1% → Springfield Springfield 1%
1% → St. Louis St. Louis 1%
1% → St. Robert St. Robert 1%
Rolla · 39% stay
11,751 jobs based in Rolla
39% of working residents work in town
9 mi median commute distance
How do you get to work from Rolla?
Census LEHD 2023
1862 · "The Campaign in Missouri - The Dark Side of War - Refugees from Southern Missouri, Driven from Their Homesteads by the… · Wikimedia Commons
Rolla’s story
182 years in pictures
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 5 places on the National Register.
Explore the history →
Landmarks 5 places in Rolla on the National Register of Historic Places.
All landmarks → Famous people from Rolla 23 notable people were born in Rolla.
See all 23 →
Rolla ( ROL-ə) is a city in and the county seat of Phelps County, Missouri, United States. Its population in the 2020 United States Census was 19,943. It is approximately midway between St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. Its micropolitan statistical area consists of Phelps County, Missouri. Nearby is an inactive township (Rolla Township). It is the home of the Missouri University of Science and Technology, well known for its many engineering departments and computer science department. The headquarters of the Mark Twain National Forest is in Rolla. The city is also within the Ozark Highlands American Viticultural Area, with vineyards first established by Italian immigrants to the area.
From Wikipedia , licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Established 1844
Population 19,943
Area 12 sq mi
Elevation 1,122 ft
ZIP code 65401, 65402, 65409
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