Community Profile
Rolla/Phelps County, Missouri
Rolla/Phelps County is a University based community located on I-44, about 100 miles west of St. Louis, Missouri. The Missouri University of Science & Technology, great transportation access, incredible natural surroundings and affordable living combine to make Phelps County an excellent location in which to live, work and play.
Quick Facts
- Rolla Region Quick Facts
- Economic Development in Rolla / Phelps County
- Demographic Snapshot (Rolla, Missouri)
- Demographic Map (Rolla, Missouri)
- Demographic Snapshot (Phelps County, Missouri)
- Demographic Map (Phelps County, Missouri)
Rolla Information
The Rolla Region offers so many unique advantages. Rolla is a University Town located on I-44. The Missouri University of Science and Technology is the primary driver of new innovation and investment. Rolla has several indoor and outdoor recreational venues. There is also an active arts community with several opportunities to access quality visual and performing arts presentations. Trout Streams and National Forest land surround the communities of the region, offering incredible opportunities for outdoor recreation. Rolla also has a Country Club and golf course on the east side of town.
- Phelps County Missouri
- City of Rolla, Missouri
- Rolla Chamber of Commerce
- Rolla Municipal Utilities
- Rolla City Services
Phone and Internet Communications:
St. James Information
Rolla's neighbor to the East, is know for it wineries as well as the Meramec Spring Park and Trout Hatchery. St. James is also located on I-44 and is home to several major employers in Phelps County.
http://www.stjamesmissouri.org/city/commprofile.html
- St. James Chamber of Commerce
- All utilities (electric, water, sewer, gas, sanitation) are provided by the City of St. James
- Phone and Internet service is provided by CenturyTel
- Meramec Springs Park
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Public Schools
Rolla Public Schools
- Accredited with Distinction by the State of Missouri
- 4,004 Students K-12
- No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Assessments Above State Average
- Rolla ACT Scores (at 23.2) Above State Average (21.6)
- Blue Ribbon Schools award
Medical Care
- Phelps County Regional Medical Center (242 bed facility – 100 physicians and dentists)
- St. John's Mercy Medical Center (building new 105,000 sq. ft. facility this year)
Recreational Assets
Arts and Entertainment in Phelps County
Rolla Region Taxes
Corporate Income Tax
In most cases, a company located in Missouri will have a lower corporate tax bill than in other states. State law sets the corporate income tax rate at 6.25% of net taxable income earned by a business in Missouri. In addition, Missouri allows 50% of federal income tax payments to be deducted before computing taxable income. Using this deduction, a corporation with a taxable income of $1,000,000 would have a Missouri effective tax rate of only 5.2%. This is 7th-lowest in the nation.
Local Property Tax
The combined local property tax levy is 5.3039 per $100 of assessed valuation. There is a .38 surcharge on commercial property. Real and personal property is subject to assessment.
Sales and Use Tax
The retail sales tax in the City of Rolla is 7.6%. To learn more about Rolla taxes go to: http://www.rollacity.org/finance/tax.shtm
Missouri provides several exemptions from sales and use taxes related to the manufacturing process. There is also a sales tax exemption on electricity consumed in the manufacturing process. There are certain conditions related to these exemptions.
To learn more about taxes in Missouri go to: http://dor.mo.gov/
| Market Area Population Growth Estimates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 miles | 30 miles | 50 miles | |
| 2006 Estimate | 37,233 | 127,816 | 277,051 |
| 2011 Projection | 39,108 | 133,980 | 287,248 |
| Rolla/Phelps County Regional Population Growth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2000 | 2008 | 2010 est. | |
| Rolla | 14,805 | 16,367 | 17,817 | 18,797 |
| Phelps | 35,248 | 39,825 | 44,942 | 45,497 |
| 30 Mi. Radius | 110,775 | 120,479 | 138,238 | |
| Employment* | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Sector |
Private Sector |
White Collar |
Blue Collar |
Farm Related |
|
| Employment | 5,097 | 16,671 | 60% | 24% | 16% |
*Unemployment details by county.
| Labor & Unemployment | ||
|---|---|---|
| Labor Market | Unemployment | |
| 7 Counties (MERIC - Jan. 2010) | 83,572 | 9.9% |
| Regional Growth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2006 | % growth (90-06) | 2010 estimate | |
| Rolla | 5,578 | 7,117 | 27.6 % | 7,527 |
| Phelps | 13,277 | 17,048 | 28.4 % | 18,148 |
| 30 Mi. Radius | 38,902 | 47,262 | 21.5 % | 52,008 |
| Regional Socio-Economic Indicators - 2006 Estimates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolla | Phelps County | 30 Mile Radius | |
| Avg. Household Income | $ 42,775 | $ 46,517 | $ 46,738 |
| Median Household Income | $ 30,546 | $ 34,773 | $ 37,570 |
| Per Capita Income | $18,181 | $ 19,325 | $ 18,264 |
| Median Age (yrs) | 30.67 | 35.22 | 33.60 |
| Family Households | 3,880 | 11,126 | 33,033 |
| % White Collar Workers* | 37.54 % | 33.69 % | 27.89 % |
*Source: Claritas Inc.
| Retail Sales and Effective Buying Income ($000) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales by Store Group | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 |
| Total Retail Sales | $ 552,252 | $ 548,937 | $ 659,013 |
| Food & Beverage Store | $ 31,250 | $ 32,416 | $ 38,202 |
| Restaurant & Bars | $ 42,534 | $ 43,188 | $ 50,186 |
| General Merchandise | $ 142,917 | $ 159,674 | $ 178,303 |
| Furniture & Appliances | $ 13,587 | $ 13,074 | $ 17,261 |
| Motor Vehicle/Parts | $ 151,733 | $ 128,961 | $ 150,856 |
| Effective Buying Income | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total EBI | $ 565,918 | $ 565,345 | $ 612,558 |
| Median Household EBI | $ 27,141 | $ 27,873 | $ 29,037 |
Source: Sales & Marketing Management
Education
The Missouri University of Science & Technology (MST) is one of the leading Engineering and research universities in the U.S. offering more engineering degrees than many other nationally ranked institutions, such as Purdue, Georgia Tech, and the University of Illinois.
MST is located on a 284-acre campus in central Rolla and has an enrollment of 5,700 students, 22 % of which are pursuing post-graduate degrees.
Several other institutions of higher education have facilities in Rolla, including Columbia College, Drury University, East Central College, and Webster University.
Rolla Schools K-12 and beyond
Rolla's Public School District (rated AAA) serves over 4,000 students with three elementary (K-4), a middle school (5-7), one junior high (8-9), and one high school (10-12). Both Rolla Middle School and Rolla High School have been named Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education and Gold Star Schools. These awards are the highest offered by both the state and at the national level.
Rolla Technical Institute/Rolla Technical Center is rated as one of the best vocational education-technology schools in the Midwest.
There are also five parochial schools with a combined enrollment over 375.
Public Education Facts (2008 school year):
- Enrollment: 4,004
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 15 students/teacher (the State average was 13)
- Graduation Rate: 90.1% (the State rate was 85%)
- Pupil Attendance Rate 94.5% (the state rate was 95.1%)
- Dropout Rate: 3% (the State rate was 4.3%)
- Graduates Scoring at or Above the National Average ACT Test Score: 40.9% (the State percentage was 34.2%)
- Average Teacher Salaries $46,413 (the State average was $46,089)
- Average ACT Score: 23.1 (the State average score was 21.6)
- Teachers with Certification 99.3% (the State score was 96.5%)
- Graduates Entering a 2 or 4 Year College/University or (non-college) Institution 64% (the State percentage was 63.3 %)
Health Care Services and Facilities
The Phelps County Regional Medical Center (PCRMC) a 242 bed facility located in Rolla is one of Missouri's leading regional healthcare centers, having earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The facility offers a wide range of diagnostic and treatment services including a state of the art radiation oncology department; cardiac catheterization lab; full service radiology; surgical services; medical laboratory; Level III trauma emergency center and many additional health care features.
Health Services Facts 2006
- Number of Doctors of Medicine, MDs: 62
- Number of Doctors of Osteopathy, DOs: 31
- Number of Doctors of Chiropractic, DCs: 6
- Number of DPM 5
- Number of DDSMS 4
- Number of Doctors of Dentistry, DDS: 9
- Number of Doctors of Pediatric Medicine: 4
- Number of Registered Nurses, RNs: 317
- Number of Practical Nurses: 74
Quality of Life – Indoor and Outdoor and Recreation
Mark Twain National Forest - Rolla/Phelps County is surrounded by more than 100,000 acres of state and national wildlife parks including the Mark Twain National Forest
(http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/marktwain/about)
Trout Streams - Phelps County, for which Rolla is the county seat, has more miles of trout streams than any other Missouri county!
The City of Rolla - Rolla offers a new $12 million Community Indoor Health and Recreation Center (the Centre), Outdoor water park (SplashZone), An impressive recreation system consisting of 219 acres in 26 designated parks, from small neighborhood-scale parks to community-wide parks with a full array of venues including public tennis courts, skateboard facility, and numerous baseball/softball and soccer fields, and a City-wide walking and bike trail.
Rolla's Lions Club Park, while privately owned, is a 240-acre park with several lighted pavilions, a stocked fishing lake, picnic ground, ball and soccer fields, equestrian trails, and playground equipment. Rolla has one bowling center, two fitness clubs, and a skating rink.
Oak Hills Country Club is a complete 18 hole golf course and club facilities at the private country club just outside of Rolla.
Phelps County Arts and Culture
The presence of the Missouri University of Science & Technology fosters a rich and varied set of offerings and opportunities in the Arts. The fine arts community is alive and well with various galleries and showings around the community. Quality music and drama is provided in two main venues:
Leach Theatre often hosts nationally and internationally acclaimed entertainers and musical ensembles. Rolla also has Museums and Art Galleries as well as a 4 screen Cinema.
Utilities
Rolla ELECTRICITY and WATER:
Electric service is provided by Rolla Municipal Utilities
102 W. 9th Street, PO Box 767
Rolla, Missouri 65402-0767 (573)-364-1572
Rolla SEWER:
City of Rolla, PO Box 979
Rolla, Missouri 65402 (573) 364-8659
Phelps County NATURAL GAS (Rolla and St. James):
AmerinUE. (800) 465-6553
Phelps County Telecommunications
Local phone service is provided by CenturyLink
