Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★4.4 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Grimes, IA
Explore Grimes and see how it fits the life you want to build.
Overall Match8.8 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Grimes at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population16,366
Median Household Income$120,037
Median Home Value$304,700
Median Gross Rent$1,251
Median Age35.4
Average Household Size2.7
Unemployment1.9%
Work From Home22.4%
Homeownership70.9%
Housing Vacancy1.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Grimes is a smaller community, so land use, housing supply and its relationship with surrounding communities can be especially important to movers. Home values are relatively modest compared with local household income, giving the area a comparatively favorable ownership-affordability signal. Unemployment is relatively low, which is a positive current labor-market signal.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Grimes Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Grimes →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Grimes and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Grimes
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$304,700
Median Gross Rent$1,251
Homeownership70.9%
Housing Vacancy1.7%
Home values are comparatively balanced against local household income, although individual neighborhoods can still vary substantially. A large majority of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Grimes, IA
Median Household Income$120,037
Unemployment1.9%
Work From Home22.4%
The reported unemployment rate is relatively low. Working from home is relatively common among employed residents.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Grimes and how households are structured
Population16,366
Median Age35.4
Average Household Size2.7
Grimes is a smaller community, so its relationship with nearby towns, employment centers and services can be especially important.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Grimes
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Grimes point to warm summers, cold winters, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and substantial annual snowfall.
Average Summer High84.7°F
Average Winter Low13.1°F
Annual Rainfall37.3 in.
Annual Snowfall38.0 in.
Seasonal Life in Grimes
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring is a useful time to evaluate how quickly outdoor conditions become comfortable and how seasonal rain affects everyday routines.
Summer
Summer is warm enough that shade and cooling still matter, but the typical high is below the extreme-heat range seen in many hotter U.S. markets.
Fall
Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.
Winter
Freezing winter lows and meaningful snowfall make snow removal, winter driving, heating costs and cold-weather routines important parts of evaluating the area.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
County Intelligence
Grimes & Its Counties
Data Pending
Foreclosure Activity
Grimes spans Dallas and Polk counties.
Living in a community that crosses county lines can make location within Grimes especially important. Property taxes, housing characteristics, public services and other county-level factors may vary depending on which part of the community you call home.
Current NarrowTheList data for Grimes shows a population of about 16,366. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Data Pending. A county-specific foreclosure signal is not available yet.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Dallas County and Polk County
How NarrowTheList uses it
NarrowTheList connects Grimes with all 2 of its counties rather than assigning the community to only one. As additional county data becomes available, those differences can be compared alongside city-level information to help identify which parts of the area may better fit your priorities.
For someone considering a move to Grimes, the available data currently points to comparatively attainable ownership costs relative to local income and a relatively tight labor market. These signals are most useful when considered alongside the specific neighborhood, commute and housing type that fit the household making the move.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.