City · Iowa
Grimes, Iowa
Grimes, city, mostly in Polk County (99.8% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Dallas County, Iowa. Grimes had 17,405 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 12.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 15,392 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 16,366 (±26). GEOID 1933060.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
17,405
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 15,392 · ACS 2020-2024: 16,366 ±26
Median household income
$120,037
±$11,554 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$304,700
±$22,823 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$1,251
±$140 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Grimes and what county is it in?
Grimes is a city mostly in Polk County (99.8% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Dallas County, Iowa. It covers 13.1 square miles of land, 1,174 residents per square mile in 2020.
Grimes is in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
| County | 2020 residents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 15,360 | 99.8% |
| Dallas County | 32 | 0.2% |
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Grimes, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 17,405 people lived in Grimes on July 1, 2025, up 12.2% since 2020, faster than Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 15,392 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 16,366 (±26).
| Measure | Grimes | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 16,366 ±26 | 503,175 | +3,527 |
| Households | 6,117 ±536 | 205,358 | +1,337 |
| Average household size | 2.67 ±0.23 | 2.41 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 6,224 ±535 | 218,486 | +1,400 |
Grimes's population since 2000
From 5,098 in 2000 to 17,405 in 2025: up 241.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Grimes as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Grimes?
The median resident of Grimes is 35.4 years old; 27.5% are under 18 and 7.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 81.6%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 6.2%. 10.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Grimes | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.4 ±4.3 | 36.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 27.5% ±3.1 pts | 24.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 7.3% ±2.3 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Male | 52.3% ±2.9 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.3% ±3.3 pts | 10.4% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 81.6% ±5.4 pts | 73.2% | −8.5 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 6.2% ±3.9 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 4.6% ±2.3 pts | 4.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.3% ±1.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 10.5% ±4.3 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 11.1% ±4.6 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.3% ±1.8 pts | 5.6% | – |
| With a disability | 6.9% ±2.2 pts | 11.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.2% ±2.5 pts | 5.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 99.3% ±0.6 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 51.5% ±7.6 pts | 40.3% | +12.9 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 18.6% ±4.8 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.5% ±3.6 pts | 85.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.0% ±1.5 pts | 2.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Grimes earn?
Half of Grimes's 6,117 households earn less than $120,037 a year (±$11,554), against $83,576 in Polk County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 the median was $100,855 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $19,182 after inflation. 4.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Grimes | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $120,037 ±$11,554 | $83,576 | +$19,182 |
| Mean household income | $127,689 ±$10,497 | $109,398 | – |
| Per capita income | $48,382 ±$5,269 | $45,622 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 4.4% ±2.4 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.1% ±5.1 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.7% ±3.2 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.6% ±2.2 pts | 96.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.3% ±3.4 pts | 91.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Grimes?
Owners occupy 70.9% of Grimes's occupied homes and renters 29.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $304,700 by its owner (±$22,823). The median renter pays $1,251 a month including utilities, and 24.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Grimes | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $304,700 ±$22,823 | $262,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,251 ±$140 | $1,149 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 24.4% ±9.9 pts | 35.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,937 ±$91 | $1,741 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 70.9% ±5.6 pts | 67.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 29.1% ±5.6 pts | 32.6% | – |
| Housing units | 6,224 ±535 | 218,486 | +1,400 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.7% ±2.0 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 64.0% ±6.8 pts | 62.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.2% ±2.8 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 7.8% ±2.7 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 40.2% ±7.0 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.7% ±1.7 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.7% ±4.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Grimes building?
Builders took permits for 134 new housing units in Grimes in 2025 (134 in single-family houses), 7.7 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Grimes work and get to work?
65.1% of Grimes's workers drive alone and 22.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.6 minutes.
| Measure | Grimes | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 78.1% ±6.3 pts | 71.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9% ±1.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 65.1% ±6.1 pts | 72.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.8% ±3.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.9% ±0.7 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 22.4% ±6.0 pts | 15.7% | +17.5 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.6 min ±1.3 | 20.0 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Grimes?
3 census tracts lie mostly in Grimes, and 3 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $111,740 (Tract 113.03) to $137,098 (Tract 113.01).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 113.03Polk County | 8,153 | $111,740 |
| Tract 113.01Polk County | 4,065 | $137,098 |
| Tract 113.02Polk County | 3,702 | $120,274 |
| Tract 114.05Polk County | 3,281 | $198,056 |
| Tract 113.04Polk County | 5,088 | $161,295 |
| Tract 501Dallas County | 8,233 | $149,056 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Grimes) · Census block assignment files
How does Grimes compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Grimes is the 2,164th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 29th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Grimes ranks 15th of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 29th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 16th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 107th | 279 |
| Median household income | 15th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 32nd | 279 |
| Median home value | 26th | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 14th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 217th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18th | 279 |
| Median age | 230th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 173rd | 279 |
| Work from home | 3rd | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 150th | 279 |
Grimes's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Grimes with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Grimes?
12 of the 57 figures for Grimes on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Grimes are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Grimes.