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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

Roland, IA

Thriving overall. Population is the clearest support signal, while housing needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score81out of 100
Compare
85
72
100
71
100

Population

1,559

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+6.6% YoY

85

$7.8B

Output changed +6.6% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.0%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

72

3.3%

Unemployment is 3.3% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.2%
U.S. avg4.2%

Population

+13.5% 5-year

100

1,559

Population moved +13.5% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population3,210,507
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

71

20.9%

Median rent consumes 20.9% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$972
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$8.2K per resident

100

$812.5M

$812.5M in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$36.5B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$812.5M

$8.2K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$387.9M
2. Department of Energy$154.3M
3. Department of Agriculture$90.3M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY$271.9M
2. IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$29.3M
3. THE KRELL INSTITUTE INC$22.5M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

20.9%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,128
2BR estimate$1,485
Median income$79,028
Median home value$185,900

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

1,559

Median age

39.4

Bachelor's degree+

30.8%

Poverty rate

1.2%

Labor force participation

71.1%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-30

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+2.6%

GDP CAGR

+5.7%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20201,374
20211,386
20221,472
20231,458
20241,559
GDP (5 years)
2020$5.9B
2021$6.5B
2022$6.9B
2023$7.3B
2024$7.8B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20241,559
20251,582 *
20261,627 *

R² = 87.6% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$7.8B
2025$8.3B *
2026$8.7B *

R² = 99.2% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$79,028/yr
Median rent$1,375/mo
Rent share of income20.9%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$11,280/yr
Mortgage share of income14.3%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.3%
State avg3.2%
U.S. avg4.2%
Labor force participation71.1%
Poverty rate1.2%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$185,900
Median monthly rent$1,375
Price-to-rent ratio11.3x

Low price-to-rent ratio — buying may be more favorable than renting in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score84/100
Economic growth85/100
Labor market72/100
Population momentum100/100
Overall stability81/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Roland city, Iowa

City/Town

Part of

Ames, IA

Nearby locations

Story City, IAMcCallsburg, IARandall, IAGarden City, IAGilbert, IA