Rolla is a medium-sized city located in the state of Missouri. With a population of 20,423 people and eight associated neighborhoods, Rolla is the 35th largest community in Missouri.Unlike some cities where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Rolla is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Rolla is a city of professionals, sales and office workers, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Rolla who work in teaching (12.55%), office and administrative support (11.53%), and sales jobs (8.91%). Rolla is also a major college town with a large number of people who are 18 years or older and attending college. As is often the case in college towns, the many students that live in Rolla have a strong influence on the local culture and entertainment scene, which may seem dormant by comparison in the summer months when much of the student population is away. In the fall, the return of students has a reinvigorating effect on the community. Because colleges are lasting institutions, they have a stabilizing effect on the economy by providing direct local benefits such as jobs for faculty and staff and spending by students. Rolla’s economy is one such example of this. 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 15.20 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the city are less than they would otherwise be.The population of Rolla is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 21.84% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 35.47% of adults in Rolla have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree. The per capita income in Rolla in 2022 was $23,580, 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 $94,320 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.
