Housing data for Rock Rapids, IA
Rock Rapids, IA has an estimated 2,661 residents and 1,136 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Lyon County.
28.7% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $812 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+4.6%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 2,661 (±27)
- Housing units
- 1,136 (±94)
- Households that rent
- 28.7%
- Median gross rent
- $812
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +4.6%
What stands out in Rock Rapids
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 17.4% (±6.9 points) in Rock Rapids, higher than in Lyon County (6.0%).
Households that rent: 28.7% (±6.2 points) in Rock Rapids, higher than in Lyon County (19.1%).
Average commute: 12.8 minutes (±3.0) in Rock Rapids, lower than in Lyon County (18.9 minutes).
Median home value: $206,700 (±$13,905) in Rock Rapids, lower than in Lyon County ($230,000).
- Types of homes in Rock Rapids
- Renters and owners in Rock Rapids
- Commute and cars in Rock Rapids
- Home values in Rock Rapids
Housing in Rock Rapids at a glance
- Median rent: $812 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $828 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 21.4% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 28.7% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $63,942 median household income
- Home values: $206,700 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,207 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,367 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 17.4% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 57.6% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 70.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 27.8% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 73.3% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 12.8 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +4.6% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 19.9% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Rock Rapids against Lyon County, its state and the nation
| Rock Rapids | Lyon County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,661 (±27) | 12,162 (exact) | 3,210,507 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,136 (±94) | 4,870 (±36) | 1,437,699 (±523) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 28.7% (±6.2 points) | 19.1% (±2.6 points) | 28.3% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $812 (±$146) | $843 (±$21) | $972 (±$6) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $63,942 (±$12,563) | $76,746 (±$7,073) | $75,059 (±$418) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $206,700 (±$13,905) | $230,000 (±$11,175) | $208,000 (±$1,141) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,367 (±$419) | $1,995 (±$145) | $2,897 (±$13) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 70.0% (±10.8 points) | 65.4% (±5.0 points) | 61.5% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 12.8 minutes (±3.0) | 18.9 minutes (±1.7) | 19.8 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 89.4% (±4.4 points) | 90.2% (±1.8 points) | 88.9% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 41.0 years (±4.0) | 38.2 years (±0.3) | 38.6 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Rock Rapids covers 4.2 square miles of land, about 632 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Rock Rapids has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,545 (±22) | 2,661 (±27) | +4.6% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 1,220 (±89) | 1,136 (±94) | −6.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $561 (±$138) | $812 (±$146) | +44.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $140,900 (±$16,851) | $206,700 (±$13,905) | +46.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $58,387 (±$5,858) | $63,942 (±$12,563) | +9.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,121 (±$118) | $1,207 (±$62) | +7.7% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,113 (±$254) | $2,367 (±$419) | +12.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 14.7% (±4.9 points) | 28.7% (±6.2 points) | +14.0 percentage points | Measurable increase |
| Rental vacancy rate | 20.3% (±19.8 points) | 27.8% (±15.4 points) | +7.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Lyon County
Rock Rapids has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Lyon County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Lyon County recorded 80 violent and 233 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Rock Rapids
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steen | 7.8 mi | $788 | $140,300 | 18.3% |
| Lester | 8.3 mi | — | $190,900 | 3.5% |
| Kanaranzi Township | 8.4 mi | $635 | $281,500 | 12.8% |
| Clinton Township (Rock County) | 8.8 mi | — | $295,700 | 2.4% |
| Alvord | 9.1 mi | — | $93,000 | 3.0% |
| Ellsworth | 9.8 mi | $625 | $86,200 | 20.4% |
| George | 10 mi | $810 | $133,100 | 22.5% |
| Doon | 11 mi | $510 | $198,900 | 10.5% |
Places in Iowa most like Rock Rapids
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll | $722 | $188,700 | $69,706 | 28.2% |
| Spencer | $805 | $184,800 | $59,667 | 31.9% |
| Dubuque | $948 | $204,800 | $65,845 | 34.2% |
| Algona | $885 | $160,800 | $56,040 | 31.1% |
| Grinnell | $895 | $209,500 | $65,320 | 35.4% |
| Storm Lake | $898 | $172,200 | $62,765 | 33.7% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Iowa.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Rock Rapids, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $702 | $722 | $945 | $1,126 | $1,242 |
HUD income limits for Rock Rapids, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $20,300 | $33,850 | $54,150 |
| 2 people | $23,200 | $38,650 | $61,850 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $43,500 | $69,600 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $48,300 | $77,300 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $52,200 | $83,500 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $56,050 | $89,700 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $59,900 | $95,900 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $63,800 | $102,050 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Lyon County, IA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $96,600.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Rock Rapids
What is the average rent in Rock Rapids, IA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Rock Rapids is $812 (±$146) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Rock Rapids?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Rock Rapids, IA is $504 (±$163) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Rock Rapids?
Rock Rapids has an estimated 280 (±70) renting households, 28.7% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Rock Rapids?
The median household income in Rock Rapids is $63,942 (±$12,563) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Rock Rapids, IA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $206,700 (±$13,905) for owner-occupied homes in Rock Rapids (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Rock Rapids?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Rock Rapids, IA is $1,207 (±$62) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
Is Rock Rapids growing?
In Rock Rapids, the number of residents went from 2,545 in 2015–2019 to 2,661 in 2020–2024 (+4.6%), a measurable increase.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Rapids city, Iowa
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Rapids city, Iowa
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Rapids city, Iowa
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Rapids city, Iowa
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Rapids city, Iowa
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Rapids city, Iowa
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Rapids city, Iowa
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Lyon County, IA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Lyon County, IA
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Rock Rapids city, Iowa (place:68160, in state:19).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .