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GrimesIACommuntyComplex
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GrimesIA

A town of 16,366, settled in 1894. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.

2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
16,366
+86.7% since 2010
Typical home
$349K
−0.9% in a year
Household income
$120K
median
Median age
35.4
years
Jobs based here
7,868
Balanced

What makes Grimes stand out

The 3 things Grimes does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
ASchool Grade
Schools
#13 for schools in IA
of 139 towns
School Grade A.
$349Ktypical home
Housing
$349K typical home
46% above the IA typical home
Down 0.9% in a year.
100 U.S. towns● Grimes
Health
Healthier than 83%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than IA on 17 measures, worse on 4.
A growing town

Grimes has grown 86.7% since 2010

8,246 people in 2010; 16,366 today.

8,2462010
15,3922020
16,366Today

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS

Grimes’s report card

See the data ↓
Commute9 miHalf of commuters travel lessSchoolsABeats 88% of IA districtsHousing$349K46% above the IA typical homeHealthA−Healthier than 83% of U.S. townsHazards13/100Very low risk of storm & flood damageClimate85°/13°Summer high · winter low · 38″ snowOutdoors3 miof trails · 1.1% conserved

Now in Grimes

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Grimes is #141 of 143 in IA for “Most residents 65+”. Fair?
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Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Grimes. Another town gets a different order.

Work & commute

Most working residents commute out of Grimes

Most working residents leave Grimes for work: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Des Moines (21%), West Des Moines (18%) and Urbandale (10%). Half commute less than 9 miles.

9%work in town

Where working residents work

In Grimes9%
Des Moines21%
West Des Moines18%
Urbandale10%
Johnston7%
9 mi
median commute distance
7,868
jobs based in Grimes
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Schools

Grimes’s public schools outperform 88% of Iowa districts

The public schools Grimes’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 88% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

ASchool Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Heritage ElementaryPK–4530A
South Prairie ElementaryK–4436A−
North Ridge ElementaryK–4412A+
DC-G Oak View7–8537A
Dallas Center-Grimes High School9–121,073A−
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduationAll 5 schools →
Housing

A typical Grimes home is worth about $349K

The typical Grimes home is worth about $349,000, down 0.9% in a year, 46% above the Iowa typical home.

$349KZillow home value

Typical home value

Grimes$349K
Iowa$240K
Market temperature
BalancedA seller's marketBuyer’sSeller’s
82
days on market
98.8%
sale-to-list price
−0.9%
value change, 1 year
25
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health

Healthier than 83% of U.S. towns

Grimes beats the Iowa average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.

A−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
17 better11 too close to call4 worse
What stands outGrimesIA
Fewer adults with heart disease4%6.6%
Fewer adults who have had a stroke2.1%3.3%
More binge drinkers23.8%20.5%
VA Central Iowa Healthcare System
8.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
88th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards

Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 13% of U.S. communities.

13risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
13Very low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
3
paid flood claims since 2010
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Grimes has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

38″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter16–33°
Spring39–60°
Summer62–83°
Fall41–63°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Outdoors

1.1% of Grimes is conserved land

2.5 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves.

1.1%conserved
Map of Grimes: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
1.1%
conserved · 101 of 8,825 acres
2.5 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Waterworks Park0.1 mi10
2. Beaverbrooke South Park—9
3. Glenstone Park0.1 mi6
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
NRCSIA00022 - Iowa (2247)(NRCS Photo Gallery)
2011 · NRCSIA00022 - Iowa (2247)(NRCS Photo Gallery) · Wikimedia Commons
Grimes’s story

132 years in pictures

6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.

IAMap-doton-GrimesMedicap Pharmacy Grimes Iowa IMG 0448GrimesIowaPopPlot
Explore the history →

About Grimes

City in Iowa, United States

Official town website ↗

Grimes is a city in Polk and Dallas counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 15,392 at the time of the 2020 Census. Grimes is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines metropolitan area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1894
Population
15,392
Area
12 sq mi
Elevation
955 ft
ZIP code
50111
Area code
515

Grimes’s neighbors

2 towns share a border with Grimes.

Explore the map →
UrbandaleJohnstonUrbandaleJohnstonGrimes
Urbandale
S · 10% of Grimes workers commute here
Visit
Johnston
E · 7% of Grimes workers commute here
Visit

More about Grimes

The handbookEverything you need to know about Grimes
Grimes Public Library200 NE Beaverbrooke Blvd
PlacesBusinesses & favorite spots
Town HallMeetings, officials & offices
Still missing for Grimes:local news coverageupcoming events

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Photo of Grimes

Grimes, IA · Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗