Is Ida Grove, IA a Good Place to Live?
Ida Grove is a small town of 1,969 in Iowa, with a median household income of $65,774 and a 3.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 87 (US average = 100), which is 13% below the national average.
Strengths: Ida Grove 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 Ida Grove is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Ida Grove 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: 86.8Ida Grove's overall cost of living index is 86.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Ida Grove costs roughly 13% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Ida Grove, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $95,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $668 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 80.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $65,774 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeIda Grove's violent crime rate is 58.3 per 100,000 residents — 85% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Ida Grove is served primarily by Odebolt Arthur Battle Creek Ida Grove Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.8:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Ida Grove, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Odebolt Arthur Battle Creek Ida Grove Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 20.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Ida Grove sees average highs of 27.2°F in January and 83.9°F in July, with 32.1 inches of annual precipitation and 35.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Ida Grove, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 27.2°F |
| Average High — July | 83.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 32.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 35.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Ida Grove, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,969 | — |
| Median Age | 44.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 15.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 97.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.2% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Ida Grove
Ida Grove, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: