Rockvale Store · National Register of Historic Places
Rockvale’s story
147 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1879Rockvale is settled
RockvaleTN
A town of 1,611, settled in 1879. Public schools that outperform most of Tennessee.
1 bordering townMap →
Rockvale Store · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,611
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$486K
−0.4% in a year
Household income
$86K
median
Median age
41.1
years
Jobs based here
29
A commuter town
Is Rockvale a good place to live?
Rockvale’s best subject grade is an A for schools; its weakest is a D− for walkability. Rockvale’s average trip to work is 46 minutes, against 25 minutes in Tennessee’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 9 of Tennessee’s 292 towns score lower on walkability. Rockvale Store is on the National Register of Historic Places. Rockvale has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Rockvale stand out
Where Rockvale beats most towns.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Rockvale for work
Where Rockvale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
29jobs based in Rockvale
0%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Rockvale grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Rockvale is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.4 of 20; 2.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →SchoolsAOpen →Cost of livingCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 34% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →Jobs & income29 jobs based hereB−Open →HealthSaint Thomas Rutherford Hospital 8.6 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market$486K typical home, down 0.4% in a year–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.1; 46% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Rockvale: who provides what
Rockvale is unincorporated, so Rutherford County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMiddle Tennessee E M C12.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterConsolidated U.d. of Rutherford CoNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRutherford CountyRutherford County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Tennessee you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereRutherford County Election CommissionRutherford County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code3715337153 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 Rockvale.
SchoolsA
Rockvale’s public schools outperform 86% of Tennessee districts
Its public schools are run by the Rutherford County school district. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Rockvale High School, with 2,126 students.
86%of TN districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockvale Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,567 | B+ |
| Rockvale High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,126 | B |
| Rockvale ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 982 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade C
A larger share of households own their home in Rockvale than in most of Tennessee or the rest of the country
99% of households own their home in Rockvale, above both the Tennessee town median (66%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). The typical Rockvale home is worth about $486,000, about the same as a year ago, 47% above the Tennessee typical home.
$486KZillow home value
Typical home value
Rockvale$486K
Tennessee$331K
−0.4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Fewer of Rockvale’s working residents work locally than in the typical Tennessee or U.S. town
0.2% of working residents work locally in Rockvale. The top destinations are Murfreesboro (30%), Nashville (21%) and Franklin (7%). Rockvale’s median household income is $86,000.
0%work in town
| Rockvale | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.2% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 14% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Rockvale0%
Murfreesboro30%
Nashville21%
Franklin7%
Smyrna7%
18 mi
median commute distance
29
jobs based in Rockvale
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 2% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Rockvale
Rockvale has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Rockvale is 89°F.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–51°
Spring47–71°
Summer66–88°
Fall48–72°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 14
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Rockvale faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 2013, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rockvale.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
7
paid flood claims since 2013
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Rockvale is less healthy than 53% of U.S. towns
Rockvale beats the Tennessee average on 10 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 18% of Rockvale adults binge drink. Only 7 of the 177 Tennessee towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Rockvale.
47%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Rockvale | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 14% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 78% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 41% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Tennessee
10 better19 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Rockvale | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.6% | 7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.5% | 3.7% |
| Fewer adults screened for colon cancer | 52.5% | 63.2% |
Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital
8.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rockvale
16pages on Rockvale
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rockvale
About 5 of every 100 Rockvale residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Tennessee.
About Rockvale
Unincorporated community in Tennessee, US
Rockvale is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Rutherford County, Tennessee. The ZIP Code for Rockvale is 37153. The 2020 population of the CDP was 1,279.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 745 ft
- ZIP code
- 37153
Rockvale’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Rockvale.
MurfreesboroRockvale
How the neighbors grade
| Town | TN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockvale | — | — | C | — | A | B− |
| Murfreesboro | #67 | C+ | C− | C− | A | B |
Rockvale has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Rockvale reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Rockvale with a neighbor →
Questions about Rockvale
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rockvale, TN a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Tennessee.
Is Rockvale, TN expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.