Rock Rapids is a city in Lyon County, Iowa, home to about 2,661 people across 4.2 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51246.
Homes sold for a median of $116 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Rock Rapids. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Rock Rapids’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Eppley Airfield (OMA)147 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)30 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE149 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL445 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Rock Rapids; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Rock Rapids had 2,611 residents in the 2020 census, up 1% since 2000.
It’s the 137th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Lyon County grew from 13,165 residents in 1900 to 11,934 in 2020.
Lyon County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 29.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 35 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rock Rapids, IA weather station (about a mile away).
3,746 jobs at 402 businesses in Lyon County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
33 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Rock Rapids.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 6 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 8 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 8 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (4 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1868.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Central Lyon Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Lyon Elementary SchoolRock Rapids | Pre-K–6 | 431 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Central Lyon Secondary SchoolRock Rapids | 7–12 | 358 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ignite Christian AcademyRock Rapids | K–12 | 2,257 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.