IAMap-doton-RockValley, 2004
Rock Valley’s story
147 years in pictures
Census counts: 100 in 1880, 4,059 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
- 1879Rock Valley is settled
Population
4,188
2025 Census estimate · +3.1% since 2020
Typical home
$308K
+2.7% in a year
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
35.1
years
Jobs based here
2,861
Balanced
TownGrade
A+
#17 of 140 in IA
Why does Rock Valley grade so well?
Few places in the country grade higher. Rock Valley earns an A+, 17th among Iowa's 140 graded towns. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 98% of U.S. towns and it is more walkable than 77% of U.S. towns. Its lowest mark, a B, is in schools. Only 2 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of households owning their home than Rock Valley.
What makes Rock Valley stand out
Where Rock Valley beats most towns.
A growing town
Rock Valley has grown 25% since 2010
3,354 counted in 2010 and 4,059 in 2020; an estimated 4,188 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Rock Valley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Rock Valley is from typical.
SafetyA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.4 of 20; 9.6% of households have no carA−Open →HealthHegg Memorial Health Center 0.2 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingB+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Jobs & income$76K median household incomeBOpen →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 2% conserved landC+Open →History3 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life9.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.1; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Rock Valley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rock Valley, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRock Valley Rural Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown pickup · day by addressTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSioux County AuditorSioux County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5124751247 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Rock Valley.
Rock Valley sees little violent crime, has commutes shorter than most of Iowa and is mostly renters.
SafetyA+
Property crime in Rock Valley is lower than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Rock Valley’s property crime rate is 1.2 per 1,000 residents, below both Iowa’s towns (7.4) and U.S. towns (9.9). Rock Valley’s violent crime rate is 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
98%of U.S. towns report more crimeA+Safety Grade
| Rock Valley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Rock Valley0.2
Iowa2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Rock Valley1.2
Iowa12.1
U.S.15.5
98th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
99th
percentile among IA towns
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
5
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsB
Rock Valley’s public schools outperform 60% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the Rock Valley Community School District. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
60%of IA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Valley Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 370 | B− |
| Rock Valley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 242 | B− |
| Rock Valley Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 195 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade B+
The typical home in Rock Valley is valued at about $308K
The typical Rock Valley home is worth about $308,000, up 2.7% in a year, 30% above the Iowa typical home.
$308KZillow home value
Typical home value
Rock Valley$308K
Iowa$237K
+2.7%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB+
Rock Valley ranks healthier than 70% of the country’s towns
Rock Valley beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 27% of Rock Valley adults sleep under 7 hours, against 32% in Iowa’s towns and 36% across U.S. towns. 20% of adults binge drink in Rock Valley.
70%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Rock Valley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better29 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Rock Valley | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 26.9% | 32.5% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 23.8% | 27% |
| More uninsured adults | 10.2% | 7.3% |
Hegg Memorial Health Center
0.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
69th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Rock Valley, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Rock Valley has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 8° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–29°
Spring35–58°
Summer60–82°
Fall37–60°
Oct 3
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
With 1.4 jobs for every working resident, Rock Valley draws in 2,141 commuters
The average commute for its 1,987 working residents takes 13.4 minutes, against 19.8 across Iowa.
About one in 3 of Rock Valley’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Rock Valley is 13 minutes. Since 2013, Rock Valley has added 145 jobs, to 2,861 in 2023.
36%work in town
| Rock Valley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 36% | 31% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Rock Valley36%
Sioux Center13%
Orange City4%
Sioux City3%
Hawarden2%
10 mi
median commute distance
2,861
jobs based in Rock Valley
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 77% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Rock Valley faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 2014, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rock Valley.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
12
paid flood claims since 2014
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.8%conserved
| Rock Valley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
1.8%
conserved · 50 of 2,864 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Park | — | 10 |
| 2. Bicentennial Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Winterfeld Boat and Fish Area | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rock Valley
20pages on Rock Valley
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 60% of IA districts · 6 schoolsSafetyA+0.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB+Better than IA on 2 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$308K typical home · up 2.7% in a yearWork & commuteB$76K median household income · 2,861 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 63% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rock Valley
About 5 of every 100 Rock Valley residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
Famous people from Rock Valley
3 notable people were born in Rock Valley.
About Rock Valley
City in Iowa, United States
Rock Valley is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, the North Western corner of Iowa, United States, along the Rock River. The population was 4,059 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,250 ft
- ZIP code
- 51247
- Area code
- 712
Questions about Rock Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rock Valley, IA a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Rock Valley grades A+ overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #17 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B+ for health, A+ for safety and B for schools.
Is Rock Valley, IA expensive?
Not for the area. That is 3.6 years of the area's median household income ($86,098 across the county).
What is Rock Valley, IA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including James Francis Macbride and Andrew Van Ginkel.