Jobs, pay and daily life in Rolla, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Rolla is a city in Missouri with 20,287 residents. The median household earns $46,204 a year and the median rent is $789 a month, which is 20.5% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Rolla compares. Among the 80 largest places in Missouri, Rolla is #38 by population, #79 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #76 for household income (#1 = highest), #7 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Phelps County, is #20 of 115 counties for average pay ($50,599).
Rolla has 20,287 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Missouri. It covers 12 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,673 people per square mile. The median age is 28.2, 28% younger than the state median (28.2 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $789 a month (rent plus utilities), 24% below the state median ($789 against $1,033). Over a year that is 20.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $187,000, which is 4.0 times the median household income ($46,204). 39.4% of households own their home, 42% below the state average (39.4% against 68.1%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Phelps County was 3.2%. 52.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Phelps County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 70.8% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 5.0% walk, 6.3% work from home. 4.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 57% below the state average (4.9% against 11.5%).
35.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 10% above the state share (35.6% against 32.4%). 7.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 77% above the state share (7.9% against 4.5%). The poverty rate is 23.6%, 87% above the state rate (23.6% against 12.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 79°F (25.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 31°F (-0.8°C). About 1,133 mm (45 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (136 mm) and Jan the driest (60 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Fort Leonard Wood (24 miles, rent 58% higher); Jefferson City (48 miles, similar rent); Lebanon (53 miles, similar rent); Union (54 miles, rent 9% higher). Rent differences are against Rolla; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Missouri (988) →State guide: MissouriCountry guidePhelps CountyMissouri rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 988 federal postings open in Missouri (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 38.7% |
| Retail trade | 13.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.9% |
| Manufacturing | 9.6% |
| Public administration | 6.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 4.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.6% |
| Construction | 2.9% |
| Other services | 2.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 1.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Information | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Rolla lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps County | 45,194 | $2,138 million | $47,313 | 19,225 | 1,299 | $50,599 | +0.4% | 3.2% | 21,374 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,790 | 21.1% | $58,552 | 1.01 |
| Retail trade | 2,668 | 20.1% | $33,297 | 1.39 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,905 | 14.4% | $20,984 | 1.09 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,783 | 13.5% | $59,903 | 2.19 |
| Manufacturing | 1,013 | 7.6% | $66,862 | 0.64 |
| Wholesale trade | 644 | 4.9% | $52,369 | 0.85 |
| Construction | 530 | 4.0% | $57,225 | 0.53 |
| Finance and insurance | 401 | 3.0% | $58,956 | 0.51 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 396 | 3.0% | $40,028 | 0.68 |
| Professional and technical services | 307 | 2.3% | $59,179 | 0.23 |
| Administrative and waste services | 292 | 2.2% | $45,753 | 0.26 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 143 | 1.1% | $19,621 | 0.44 |
| Real estate and rental | 130 | 1.0% | $47,459 | 0.44 |
| Educational services | 102 | 0.8% | $34,457 | 0.26 |
| Information | 76 | 0.6% | $52,428 | 0.21 |
| Management of companies | 45 | 0.3% | $76,780 | 0.14 |
| Utilities | 22 | 0.2% | $89,993 | 0.30 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 70.8% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 5.0% |
| Work from home | 6.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,204 |
| Income per person | $25,226 |
| Median gross rent per month | $789 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.5% |
| Median home value | $187,000 |
| Homeowners | 39.4% |
| Poverty rate | 23.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 4.70%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 28.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 35.6% |
| Born abroad | 7.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 52.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.8 | 31 | 60 |
| Feb | 0.9 | 34 | 65 |
| Mar | 7.0 | 45 | 100 |
| Apr | 13.2 | 56 | 120 |
| May | 18.4 | 65 | 136 |
| Jun | 23.4 | 74 | 105 |
| Jul | 25.9 | 79 | 104 |
| Aug | 25.1 | 77 | 115 |
| Sep | 20.8 | 69 | 88 |
| Oct | 13.6 | 56 | 92 |
| Nov | 7.1 | 45 | 82 |
| Dec | 1.5 | 35 | 66 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Leonard Wood | MO | 24 mi | 15,432 | $67,772 | $1,250 |
| Jefferson City | MO | 48 mi | 42,488 | $66,371 | $802 |
| Lebanon | MO | 53 mi | 15,270 | $48,359 | $809 |
| Union | MO | 54 mi | 12,781 | $73,435 | $858 |
| Washington | MO | 58 mi | 15,130 | $79,173 | $827 |
| Fulton | MO | 64 mi | 12,617 | $51,429 | $836 |
| Eureka | MO | 72 mi | 13,081 | $108,394 | $1,252 |
| Wildwood | MO | 74 mi | 35,133 | $161,060 | $1,661 |
| Farmington | MO | 74 mi | 18,282 | $53,729 | $855 |
| Columbia | MO | 76 mi | 128,548 | $66,498 | $1,097 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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vs
20,287 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$789 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.5% of the median household income.
$46,204 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.2% (BLS county, Phelps County (latest month 2026M09)).
Missouri. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.