Rolla North Dakota LOC fsa.8a32622, 1940
Rolla’s story
138 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1940.
- 1888Rolla is settled
Population
1,156
2025 Census estimate · −5% since 2020
Median home value
$152K
Census ACS
Household income
$49K
median
Median age
38.6
years
Jobs based here
836
A job hub
Is Rolla a good place to live?
Rolla’s best subject grades are an A− for walkability and a B for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. Rolla’s average trip to work is 10 minutes, where North Dakota’s towns sit at 16 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. On hazard risk, just 1 of North Dakota’s 69 towns do better. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 88% of the country. Rolla’s trail density is 1.9 miles per square mile, against 0.7 in North Dakota’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Rolla has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Rolla stand out
Where Rolla beats most towns.
Small town
1,156 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Rolla grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Rolla is from typical.
Hazard riskcold waves tops the listA+Open →Jobs & income$49K median household income; 836 jobs based hereD−Open →HealthPresentation Medical Center 1.3 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.9 of 20; 21.4% of households have no carA−Open →SchoolsCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $152K, 2.5 years of the county’s $60K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 0% conserved landBOpen →History3 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life1.8 library visits per resident; 17.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
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 Rolla: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rolla, and how to reach them.
PowerOtter Tail Power11.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Rolla water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTuesdayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereRolette County AuditorRolette County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5836758367 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Rolla.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Rolla has 1.5 jobs for every working resident, and 646 people commute in
About one in 3 of Rolla’s working residents works in town. 23% of residents live below the poverty line in Rolla. Only 1 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a lower median household income than Rolla.
35%work in town
| Rolla | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 35% | 39% | 8% |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Rolla35%
Belcourt21%
Minot4%
Dunseith3%
Fargo3%
6 mi
median commute distance
836
jobs based in Rolla
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC
Public schools in Rolla fall behind 67% of North Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the Mt Pleasant 4 school district. Its two schools are below.
33%of ND districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Pleasant Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 112 | C− |
| Mt. Pleasant High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 132 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Rolla stands out in North Dakota and nationally, with the FEMA risk score lower than most
Rolla’s FEMA risk score is 3 of 100.
3risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingWinter weather
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthD
A larger share of adults have diabetes in Rolla than in most of North Dakota or the rest of the country
16% of Rolla adults have diabetes. Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have obesity than Rolla. 40% of Rolla adults have high blood pressure.
12%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Rolla | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 8.9% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 37% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 14% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
1 better10 too close to call21 worse
| What stands out | Rolla | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 17.7% | 21.3% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.6% | 10.7% |
Presentation Medical Center
1.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Rolla has four seasons and pleasant summers
Rolla has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. The July high in Rolla is 78°F.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter-0–18°
Spring26–48°
Summer52–76°
Fall29–51°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 20
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Rolla
Rolla's reported crime rate is below North Dakota's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2024.
| Rolla | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 15.7 per 1,000 residents | 16.1 | 11.5 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Rolla0.9
North Dakota2.6
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Rolla15.7
North Dakota17.1
U.S.17.7
1
violent crimes reported in 2024
18
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsB
0.1% of Rolla is conserved land
2.9 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Only 2 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Rolla.
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 1 of 933 acres
2.9 mi
of trails · 1.9 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rolla
20pages on Rolla
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rolla
About 4 of every 100 Rolla residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 646 people come to Rolla for work
Where Rolla’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
836jobs based in Rolla
35%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Rolla
3 notable people were born in Rolla.
About Rolla
City in North Dakota, United States
Rolla ( ROL-ə) is a city in Rolette County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Rolette County. The population was 1,223 at the 2020 census. The city contains a small park and a small outdoor pool.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1888
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,814 ft
- ZIP code
- 58367
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Rolla
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rolla, ND expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
What is Rolla, ND known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Allen I. Olson and Craig Disher.