Because Rolla has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Rolla lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Rolla is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Rolla people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.
Rolla, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.
Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Rolla spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 14.98 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the city are less than they would otherwise be.
As is often the case in a small city, Rolla doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.
The education level of Rolla citizens is very high relative to the national average among all cities (21.84%): 36.67% of adults in Rolla have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.
The per capita income in Rolla in 2018 was $23,040, which is lower middle income relative to Missouri, and low income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $92,160 for a family of four. However, Rolla contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Rolla is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Rolla home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Rolla residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Rolla include German, Irish, English, French, and Italian.
The most common language spoken in Rolla is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Langs. of India.
