Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
22% of residents live below the poverty line in Garden Grove, above both Iowa’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). No town among the 138 in Iowa we compare has a lower median rent than Garden Grove. Its National Register listings include C. S. Stearns House and J. J. McClung House. Garden Grove has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Garden Grove beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 549 in 1880, a peak of 666 in 1920, 174 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1885 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Garden Grove, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Garden Grove.
1.6% of working residents work locally in Garden Grove, below both the Iowa town median (31%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Garden Grove’s median household income is $34,000. Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a higher average trip to work than Garden Grove.
| Garden Grove | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $34,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Garden Grove has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 14° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Garden Grove beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Garden Grove.
| Garden Grove | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Garden Grove | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.6% | 11.6% |
| More smokers | 18.1% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Garden Grove; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Garden Grove residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Garden Grove’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Garden Grove on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Iowa, USA
Garden Grove is a small town in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 174 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Garden Grove has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
