Population 17,708 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Grimes
Household size in Grimes
| Period | Grimes | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.73 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.74 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.70 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.71 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
At 2.71 people per household, Grimes sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in the Des Moines area as a whole, where it has 2.52 people. Only eight of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Grimes
| Period | Grimes | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.1 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.0 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.4 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.5 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Grimes is young: half of its residents are under 35.5, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults and children. The median age has climbed from 33.1 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Grimes
| Period | Grimes | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.3% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.9% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.2% of households in Grimes, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Grimes
Renters in Grimes
| Period | Grimes | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.2% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.2% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.2% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.3% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Grimes own their homes; 27.3% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Nearly one in five owners (19.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northeast and least common in the northwest. The renter share has risen 8.1 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Grimes
| Period | Grimes | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.1% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Grimes: just 2.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has fallen 3.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only one other Iowa city with 5,000+ people has a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Grimes
| Period | Grimes | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1993 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1999 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 2002 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2007 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +14 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Grimes has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2007, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1993 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the west. Only two of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Grimes
| Period | Grimes | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $760 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,110 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,018 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,187 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$426 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Grimes pays $1,187 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $426 a month from 2006–10, a 56% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 25.2% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Grimes
Bachelor's degrees in Grimes
| Period | Grimes | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 50.0% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.7% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 54.3% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.4 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Grimes: 54.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree has risen 15.4 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only nine of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Grimes
| Period | Grimes | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.0% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.0% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.0% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 99.2% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Grimes: 99.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. No other Iowa city with 5,000+ people has a higher share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Grimes
| Period | Grimes | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.8% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Grimes has been low: just 1.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Grimes compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grimes | 2.71 | 35.5 | 8.2% | 27.3% | 2.7% | 2007 | $1,187 | 54.3% | 99.2% | 1.8% |
| Johnston | 2.80 | 38.5 | 11.3% | 29.0% | 5.6% | 2003 | $1,493 | 57.4% | 96.3% | 2.9% |
| Urbandale | 2.58 | 40.3 | 7.8% | 24.1% | 6.5% | 1989 | $1,300 | 51.1% | 93.8% | 2.9% |
| Clive | 2.77 | 39.0 | 11.7% | 28.6% | 5.3% | 1995 | $1,489 | 57.6% | 95.1% | 4.0% |
| Granger | 2.90 | 35.3 | 6.1% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 2001 | $859 | 44.9% | 97.9% | 0.3% |
| Granger Homesteads | 3.00 | 34.3 | 5.2% | 12.1% | 8.8% | 2007 | $957 | 44.1% | 97.1% | 0.7% |
| Polk City | 2.74 | 38.7 | 6.3% | 12.4% | 3.0% | 2003 | $935 | 46.4% | 97.9% | 2.5% |
| Windsor Heights | 2.37 | 43.4 | 10.0% | 24.1% | 10.6% | 1960 | $1,539 | 45.5% | 98.3% | 2.0% |
| Waukee | 2.52 | 35.5 | 10.4% | 31.0% | 4.7% | 2008 | $1,424 | 58.4% | 95.6% | 3.1% |
| West Des Moines | 2.30 | 37.8 | 8.1% | 42.2% | 6.7% | 1991 | $1,311 | 55.7% | 95.9% | 2.6% |
| Dallas Center | 2.60 | 42.6 | 5.5% | 12.6% | 8.0% | 1981 | $1,139 | 37.3% | 96.5% | 0.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Alachua, FL · Alamo, CA · Andover, KS · Aledo, TX · Alexander City, AL · Mitchell, SD · Middlesex, NJ · Molalla, OR · Monmouth Junction, NJ · Monroe, OH
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Grimes. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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