Little Rock vs Rock Rapids
Little Rock, 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.
Little Rock and Rock Rapids score about the same overall (49 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Little Rock | Rock Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $64k | $68k |
| Cost of Living | $43k | $45k |
| Home Value | $82k | $198k |
| Monthly Rent | $663 | $766 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $135 | $749 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.14% | 1.27% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.76% | 12.00% |
| Unemployment | 0.9% | 4.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 17°F | 17°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 30.2 in | 29.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 41.5 in | 34.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 235 days | 235 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 89 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 80.0 | 79.2 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 47.9 | 43.1 |
| Violent Crime | 888/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 646/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 430 | 2,631 |
| Median Age | 30.7 | 40.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.24 | 0.14 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.08 | 1.18 |
| Political Leaning | R+31 | R+68 |
| White (%) | 82.1% | 92.4% |
| Black (%) | 0.7% | 0.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 9.8% | 5.5% |
| Asian (%) | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.0% | 1.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | — | 11 min |
| Walkability | 5.8/20 | 6.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 148 mi | 148 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 83.1% | 87.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 23.26 | 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 Little Rock or Rock Rapids more affordable?
- Little Rock has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with Little Rock's $43k and Rock Rapids's $45k. Median rent is $663 in Little Rock versus $766 in Rock Rapids.
- Is Little Rock or Rock Rapids safer?
- Rock Rapids has the lower violent crime rate. Little Rock reports 888/100k and Rock Rapids reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Little Rock or Rock Rapids?
- The median home value is $82k in Little Rock and $198k in Rock Rapids, so homes are more affordable in Little Rock.