Is Grundy Center, IA a Good Place to Live?
Grundy Center is a small town of 2,792 in Iowa, with a median household income of $80,294 and a 2.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: Grundy Center stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Grundy Center is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Grundy Center 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: 88.0Grundy Center's overall cost of living index is 88.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Grundy Center costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Grundy Center, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $155,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $674 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 80.8% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $80,294 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Grundy Center is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Grundy Center is served primarily by Grundy Center Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.8:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Grundy Center, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Grundy Center Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Grundy Center sees average highs of 26.1°F in January and 82.9°F in July, with 36.8 inches of annual precipitation and 32.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Grundy Center, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 26.1°F |
| Average High — July | 82.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 32.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Grundy Center, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,792 | — |
| Median Age | 37.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 97.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.2% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 20.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Grundy Center
Grundy Center, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: