Grimes, IA housing market
The typical Grimes home is worth about $349,000, down 0.9% in a year, 46% above the Iowa typical home. Homes typically sell in 82 days, close to asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Grimes compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Grimes at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.4 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Grimes | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $235,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $248,000 | $152,000 |
| 2019 | $257,000 | $159,000 |
| 2020 | $267,000 | $167,000 |
| 2021 | $279,000 | $179,000 |
| 2022 | $314,000 | $195,000 |
| 2023 | $333,000 | $211,000 |
| 2024 | $339,000 | $218,000 |
| 2025 | $349,000 | $228,000 |
| 2026 | $353,000 | $236,000 |
| August 2026 | $349,000 | $240,000 |
134 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 134 new homes in Grimes in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $37.1 million to build. That's 8.2 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Iowa (4.7). Over the past 10 years, Grimes has permitted 2,621 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Grimes gained 7,146 residents while 2,931 new homes were permitted: about 2.4 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across Iowa: 1.3 new residents per new home.
How Grimes ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 208 | 76 | 132 | $32.7 million |
| 2025 | 134 | 134 | 0 | $37.1 million |
| 2024 | 118 | 46 | 72 | $24.7 million |
| 2023 | 271 | 36 | 235 | $47.3 million |
| 2022 | 78 | 62 | 16 | $24.6 million |
| 2021 | 209 | 181 | 28 | $27.4 million |
| 2020 | 220 | 168 | 52 | $26.4 million |
| 2019 | 409 | 129 | 280 | $33.4 million |
| 2018 | 519 | 249 | 270 | $44.8 million |
| 2017 | 332 | 224 | 108 | $34.5 million |
| 2016 | 331 | 277 | 54 | $39.9 million |
| 2015 | 251 | 251 | 0 | $44.1 million |
| 2014 | 364 | 243 | 121 | $53.1 million |
| 2013 | 186 | 155 | 31 | $32.2 million |
| 2012 | 129 | 129 | 0 | $18.6 million |
| 2011 | 252 | 124 | 128 | $27.9 million |
| 2010 | 158 | 126 | 32 | $21.2 million |
| 2009 | 152 | 136 | 16 | $19.7 million |
| 2008 | 161 | 161 | 0 | $19.9 million |
| 2007 | 247 | 233 | 14 | $28.2 million |
| 2006 | 355 | 239 | 116 | $45.9 million |
| 2005 | 210 | 144 | 66 | $28.6 million |
| 2004 | 92 | 68 | 24 | $12.5 million |
| 2003 | 90 | 78 | 12 | $10.4 million |
| 2002 | 107 | 41 | 66 | $9.4 million |
| 2001 | 42 | 30 | 12 | $4.6 million |
| 2000 | 70 | 36 | 34 | $6.5 million |
How Grimes ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Grimes and its neighbors
2.9 years of income
The typical Grimes home costs about 2.9 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across Iowa (3.2).
How Grimes ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,280
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Grimes is $1,280 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Grimes pay a median of $1,251. A two-bedroom takes about 13% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,030 · 4 bedrooms $1,790
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (50063, 50111; Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Grimes
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.