IAMap-doton-Rockwell, 2004
Rockwell’s story
155 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004.
- 1871Rockwell is settled
Population
1,039
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Typical home
$212K
+1.9% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
42.7
years
Jobs based here
234
A commuter town
Is Rockwell a good place to live?
The best of Rockwell’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for civic life; the weakest is a C− for incomes. On walkability, just 27 of Iowa’s 276 towns do worse. The biggest park or preserve is Linn Grove County Park, at 71 acres. Rockwell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Rockwell stand out
Where Rockwell beats most towns.
Typical home value
Rockwell$212K
Iowa$237K
Cost of livingA+
3.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 96% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Rockwell9.1
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IA town7.5
Civic lifeA
21% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Iowa town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Small town
1,039 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Rockwell grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Rockwell is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →Jobs & income234 jobs based hereC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 3.7% of households have no car; 1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard riskdrought tops the listC+Open →HealthMercyone North Iowa Medical Center 11.7 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 2% conserved landC+Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life3.3 library visits per resident; 9.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market$212K typical home, up 1.9% in a year–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 42.7; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Rockwell: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rockwell, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRockwell Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayTrash dayTown 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 hereCerro Gordo County AuditorCerro Gordo County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code5046950469 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 Rockwell.
SchoolsC−
Public schools in Rockwell fall behind 78% of Iowa districts
Its one school is below. Public schools: the West Fork Community School District. Rockwell’s only public school teaches 388 students.
22%of IA districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Fork Elementary at RockwellLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 388 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
With only 0.5 jobs per working resident, most people in Rockwell work out of town
Rockwell’s income of the median household is $61,000. Commuting out is the norm here: 8% of working residents work locally. The top destinations are Mason City (27%), Sheffield (9%) and Clear Lake (7%). 15% of residents live below the poverty line locally, above both the Iowa town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
8%work in town
| Rockwell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 7.7% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Rockwell8%
Mason City27%
Sheffield9%
Clear Lake7%
Garner2%
13 mi
median commute distance
234
jobs based in Rockwell
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 30% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Rockwell, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 44 inches of snow, with January nights at 8° and July afternoons at 82°.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–28°
Spring36–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall38–59°
Oct 7
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Rockwell is less healthy than three in five U.S. towns
In Rockwell, 19% of adults binge drink. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Rockwell is ahead of Iowa on 1 and behind on 6. Two in five adults have obesity in the town, above both Iowa’s towns (38%) and U.S. towns (35%).
41%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Rockwell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better25 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Rockwell | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.7% | 77.8% |
| More adults with arthritis | 33.8% | 27% |
Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center
11.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A+
Rockwell stands out in Iowa and nationally: the median rent there is lower
Values rose 1.9% in the 12 months to September 2026. Three quarters of Rockwell households own their home.
$212KZillow home value
| Rockwell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $575 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Rockwell$212K
Iowa$237K
+1.9%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Rockwell, with drought at the top
Federal aid has come to Rockwell households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2008. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities. 42% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by inland flooding at 28%.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC+
Conservation land takes up 1.6% of Rockwell
0.1 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve.
1.6%conserved
1.6%
conserved · 31 of 1,897 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Linn Grove County Park | 0.1 mi | 71 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rockwell
18pages on Rockwell
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rockwell
About 4 of every 100 Rockwell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Rockwell for work
Where Rockwell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
234jobs based in Rockwell
8%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Rockwell
City in Iowa, United States
Rockwell is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,071 at the time of the 2020 census. In 2020, it was speculated that the city is part of the Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,115 ft
- ZIP code
- 50469
Questions about Rockwell
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rockwell, IA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.