With 20,287 people, Rolla is a city in Missouri. The median age is 28.2, younger than the US median of 38.9. Owners hold 39% of the housing stock. People stay put here: 72% were in the same home a year ago. Households here earn about 35% less than in Missouri as a whole. The average commute runs 14 minutes.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $46,204, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 28.2
US median: 38.9
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 36%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Rolla
What changed most since 1990
Homes owned by their occupants48.0% → 39.4%(−8.6 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree28.3% → 35.6%(+7.3 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Hispanic share1.3% → 4.6%(+3.3 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Rolla's population equals 45% of Phelps County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 85% of the county's. Its number of veterans equals 32% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)30.7%(296)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.7%(267)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era22.3%(215)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.6%(25)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 965 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Rolla, decade by decade
Rolla population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
14,090
$45,083
$115,443
28.3%
22.2
2000
16,367
$48,236
$137,353
27.9%
26.9
2010
19,559
$46,955
$168,888
32.4%
34.3
2020
19,943
$45,151
$174,170
35.9%
45.2
2024
20,287
$46,204
$187,000
35.6%
45.8
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
