Grimes, IA vs Urbandale, IA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricGrimes, IAUrbandale, IA
Population16,36646,595
Median Household Income$120,037$112,795
Median Rent$1,251/mo$1,211/mo
Median Home Value$304,700$335,500
Cost of Living (US = 100)9292
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income27.3%36.3%
Poverty Rate4.4%6.8%
Unemployment Rate3.7% (county)3.3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k140*122
Property Crime Rate /100k791*524
Median AQI4444
Good AQI Days /yr224224
Summer Highs83°F83°F
Winter Lows16°F16°F
Snowfall38 in/yr38 in/yr
Avg Commute19.6 min18.9 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher16.614.6
College Degree Rate51.5%51.2%
Foreign-Born %10.5%9.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+12.2%+6.6%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Grimes (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.