Red Oak is a somewhat small city located in the state of Iowa. With a population of 5,461 people and two associated neighborhoods, Red Oak is the 73rd largest community in Iowa.

A relatively large number of people in Red Oak telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 10.09% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

In terms of college education, the citizens of Red Oak rank slightly lower than the national average. 15.35% of adults 25 and older in Red Oak have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree, while 21.84% of adults have a 4-year degree or higher in the average American community.

The per capita income in Red Oak in 2022 was $30,150, which is low income relative to Iowa, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $120,600 for a family of four. However, Red Oak contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

The people who call Red Oak home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Red Oak residents report their race to be White, followed by Native Hawaiian. Important ancestries of people in Red Oak include German, English, Irish, Swedish, and Italian.

The most common language spoken in Red Oak is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Polish.