Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Rockwell City’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for civic life; its weakest is a C− for incomes. On cost of living, just 16 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. Rockwell City is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 76% of U.S. towns. Only 3 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Rockwell City. Rockwell City has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Rockwell City Bridge and Calhoun County Courthouse. Rockwell City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Rockwell City beats most towns.
Calhoun County Courthouse1,709 counted in 2010 and 2,240 in 2020; an estimated 2,133 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Rockwell City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1912.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rockwell City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Rockwell City.
The typical Rockwell City home is worth about $154,000, up 14.9% in a year, 35% below the Iowa typical home. Rockwell City’s median rent is $796 a month, close to Iowa’s towns ($911 a month) and below U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Rockwell City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $796 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the South Central Calhoun Community School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Calhoun Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 329 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Rockwell City has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 10° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Rockwell City for work: only 17% work in town. Since 2013, Rockwell City has lost 112 jobs, to 612 in 2023. Rockwell City’s median household income is $57,000, where Iowa’s towns sit at $69,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000.
| Rockwell City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Rockwell City beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 22% of adults binge drink in Rockwell City.
| Rockwell City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Rockwell City | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.8% | 11.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.6% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.9 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Rockwell City Park, at 29 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rockwell City Park | 0.7 mi | 29 |
| 2. Highway Number Four Recreation Area | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Rockwell City; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Rockwell City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
3 places in Rockwell City on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Iowa, United States
Rockwell City is a city and the county seat of Calhoun County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,240 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.
2 notable people were born here, including Hubert Stanley Wall and Charles G. Boyd.
