IAMap-doton-Roland, 2004
Roland’s story
Roland in pictures
Census counts: 557 in 1900, 1,362 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1975 on.
Explore the history →RolandIA
A town of 1,344. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Population
1,344
2025 Census estimate · −1.2% since 2020
Typical home
$262K
+4.8% in a year
Household income
$79K
median
Median age
39.4
years
Jobs based here
157
A commuter town
Is Roland a good place to live?
Roland’s best subject grades are an A+ for schools and an A− for health and incomes; its weakest is a C− for walkability. Only 8 of Iowa’s 276 towns score lower on walkability. Roland's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 92% of U.S. towns. Roland has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Roland stand out
Where Roland beats most towns.
Roland-Story Comm School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Roland-Story Middle School | 5–8 | 331 |
SchoolsA+
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Library visits per resident
Roland7.5
Typical U.S. town3.4
Typical IA town4
Civic lifeA
90% more library visits per person
than the typical Iowa town
IMLS Public Libraries Survey.
Small town
1,344 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Roland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Roland is from typical.
SchoolsA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 12.9% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →HealthMary Greeley Medical Center 10.8 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & income$79K median household incomeA−Open →Cost of livingBOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsC+Open →History1 notable person born hereBOpen →Civic life7.5 library visits per resident; 7.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Roland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Roland, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRoland Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Roland’s trash rules yet
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 hereStory County AuditorStory County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2026
ZIP code5023650236 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 Roland.
SchoolsA+
Public schools in Roland beat 96% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the Roland-Story Community School District. Its one school is below.
96%of IA districts it outscoresA+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roland-Story Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 331 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
Roland is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns
Roland beats the Iowa average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 24% of adults binge drink in Roland, above both the Iowa town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (16%). 11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Roland.
81%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Roland | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 26% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
10 better21 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Roland | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.4% | 11.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 7.3% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.9% | 77.8% |
Mary Greeley Medical Center
10.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
A smaller share of working residents in Roland work locally than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
1.9% of working residents work locally in Roland, against 31% in Iowa’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Roland has lost 24 jobs, to 157 in 2023. 1.2% of Roland residents live below the poverty line.
2%work in town
| Roland | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 12% | 8.5% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Roland2%
Ames32%
Story City19%
Des Moines4%
Nevada3%
12 mi
median commute distance
157
jobs based in Roland
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 19% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Roland, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Roland has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 10° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring38–59°
Summer61–82°
Fall40–61°
Oct 8
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Iowa overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 42% of residents (37% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (23% statewide). 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
39.4median age · IA 38.6
| Roland | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 26% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 25% | 29% |
RolandIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school24%
Some college30%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.8 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Roland | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.9% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.7% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.7% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.9% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.5% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.5% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.5% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 29.5% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.7% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.7% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.1% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade B
Roland’s typical home value is about $262K
The typical Roland home is worth about $262,000, up 4.8% in a year, 11% above the Iowa typical home. Only 8 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Roland.
$262KZillow home value
Typical home value
Roland$262K
Iowa$237K
+4.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Roland faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Roland.
51risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
8
paid flood claims since 2008
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 748 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Erickson Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Britson Park and Athletic Complex | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Roland
19pages on Roland
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Roland
About 3 of every 100 Roland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Roland for work
Where Roland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
157jobs based in Roland
2%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Roland
City in Iowa, United States
Roland is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,362 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,024 ft
- ZIP code
- 50236
- Area code
- 515
Questions about Roland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Roland, IA a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Is Roland, IA expensive?
That is 3.6 years of the area's median household income ($73,127 across the Ames, IA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.