Lester vs Rock Rapids
Lester, Iowa versus Rock Rapids, Iowa: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Lester and Rock Rapids score about the same overall (50 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lester | Rock Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $86k | $68k |
| Cost of Living | $45k | $45k |
| Home Value | $170k | $198k |
| Monthly Rent | — | $766 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $110 | $749 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.88% | 1.27% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.03% | 12.00% |
| Unemployment | 0.0% | 4.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 17°F | 17°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 29.3 in | 29.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 34.9 in | 34.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 235 days | 235 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 87 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 79.3 | 79.2 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 40.7 | 43.1 |
| Violent Crime | 224/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 454/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 303 | 2,631 |
| Median Age | 38.7 | 40.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.26 | 0.14 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.06 | 1.18 |
| Political Leaning | R+68 | R+68 |
| White (%) | 85.1% | 92.4% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 13.2% | 5.5% |
| Asian (%) | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.0% | 1.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | — | 11 min |
| Walkability | 5.6/20 | 6.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 149 mi | 148 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.1% | 87.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.00 | 30.41 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lester or Rock Rapids more affordable?
- Rock Rapids has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Lester's $45k and Rock Rapids's $45k.
- Is Lester or Rock Rapids safer?
- Rock Rapids has the lower violent crime rate. Lester reports 224/100k and Rock Rapids reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lester or Rock Rapids?
- The median home value is $170k in Lester and $198k in Rock Rapids, so homes are more affordable in Lester.