Median Income
$99,896
household / year
Median Home Value
$275,400
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,042
gross / month
Cost of Living
93
national avg = 100

Is Grimes, IA a Good Place to Live?

Grimes is a small city of 15,402 in Iowa, with a median household income of $99,896 and a 6.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 93 (US average = 100), which is 7% below the national average.

Strengths: Grimes stands out for an affordable cost of living, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Grimes is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Grimes city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 92.7

Grimes's overall cost of living index is 92.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Grimes costs roughly 7% less than the average American city.

Metric Grimes, IA National Avg
Median Home Value $275,400 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,042 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 67.9% 65.9%
Median Household Income $99,896 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Near National Average

Grimes's violent crime rate is 398.8 per 100,000 residents — 5% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
398.8 /100k
Property Crime
2178.5 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Grimes is served primarily by Dallas Center-Grimes Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.1:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Grimes, IA National Avg
School District Dallas Center-Grimes Comm School District —
Elementary Schools 4 —
Middle Schools 2 —
High Schools 1 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 15.1:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 43.6% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 98.4% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Grimes sees average highs of 30.0°F in January and 84.7°F in July, with 37.3 inches of annual precipitation and 38.0 inches of snow per year.

MetricGrimes, IA
Average High — January30.0°F
Average High — July84.7°F
Annual Precipitation37.3"
Annual Snowfall38.0"

Demographics

MetricGrimes, IANational Avg
Population15,402—
Median Age35.238.9
Unemployment Rate6.4%3.7%
Avg Commute Time18.7 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)92.2%59.3%
Black or African American1.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino2.6%18.9%
Asian2.6%6.3%
Under 1829.2%22.2%
65 and over8.1%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Urbandale, IA 3 mi Johnston, IA 4 mi Clive, IA 4 mi Granger, IA 6 mi Windsor Heights, IA 7 mi

ZIP Codes in Grimes

Grimes, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

50111

Grimes vs Other Cities

Grimes, IA vs Urbandale, IA Grimes, IA vs Johnston, IA Grimes, IA vs Clive, IA Grimes, IA vs Granger, IA Grimes, IA vs Windsor Heights, IA

Frequently Asked Questions

Grimes's cost of living index is 93, where 100 is the national average. That makes Grimes roughly 7% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $275,400 and median rent is $1,042/month.
Grimes's violent crime rate is 398.8 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2178.5 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Grimes are operated by Dallas Center-Grimes Comm School District. The district has 4 elementary, 2 middle, and 1 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.1:1. 43.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Grimes, IA has a population of 15,402, a median household income of $99,896, and an unemployment rate of 6.4%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Grimes averages 30.0°F in January and 84.7°F in July. Annual rainfall is 37.3 inches with about 38.0 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Grimes, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 50111.
The population of Grimes, Iowa is 15,402 with a median age of 35.2. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Grimes: cost of living index 93 (100 = US average), median home $275,400, median household income $99,896, crime index 104 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated A-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Grimes side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.