Census place 1933060

Grimes

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Grimes city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Grimes.

According to the 2025 estimate, Grimes has a population of 17,405 and 1,257 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 41 covered Iowa places are: median household income is $120,037, above the comparison median of $69,222; median home value is $304,700, above the comparison median of $219,200; and median gross rent is $1,251, above the comparison median of $978. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median household income
$120,037
Above the comparison median of $69,222
median home value
$304,700
Above the comparison median of $219,200
median gross rent
$1,251
Above the comparison median of $978

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Grimes's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
17,405
2025 estimate
Annual change
+1.1%
Population estimate
Density
1,257/sq mi
13.8 sq mi land area
Median age
35.4 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$120,037
Median home value
$304,700
Median gross rent
$1,251
Bachelor’s degree or higher
51.5%
Typical commute
19.6 min
Drive-alone commute
65.1%
Public transit commute
0%
Walked to work
0.9%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
29.1%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
27.9%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
76.6%
Unemployed residents 16+
1.5%
Working from home
22.4%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
91.3%
Homes built 2020+
7.8%
Households without a vehicle
8.7%
Households with children
38.5%
Residents with a disability
6.9%
Residents without insurance
3.2%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Polk County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
10
Severe Storm declarations
7
Flood declarations
1
Hurricane declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: DES MOINES INTL AP (12 mi from place center)
Average high
60.5°F
Average low
41.3°F
Annual rainfall
36.5"
Annual snowfall
36.5"

Month by month

A year in Grimes.

Typical high and low °F
0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Norwalk, IA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
15,004
Median home
$303,100

Twinsburg, OH

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
18,939
Median home
$318,800

Coos Bay, OR

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
15,686
Median home
$306,900

Keep exploring

Compare Grimes with Norwalk