Grand RiverIA
A town of 189, settled in 1881.
Is Grand River a good place to live?
Grand River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
189 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Grand River: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grand River, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Grand River.
The average trip to work in Grand River is longer than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower income of the median household than Grand River. In Grand River, 19% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Lamoni (34%), Osceola (10%) and Des Moines (7%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 17 miles.
| Grand River | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $40,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Grand River: four seasons and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 85°; in January, nights fall to 14°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical home in Grand River: about $193K
Values rose 16% in the 12 months to September 2026. Among households in Grand River, 73% are owner-occupiers, close to both Iowa’s towns (70%) and U.S. towns (73%).
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Grand River faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by drought
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 62% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Grand River households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2010.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
How healthy Grand River is
Among adults in Grand River, 15% worry about having enough food, above both the Iowa town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). CDC measures, 32 in all: Grand River beats Iowa on 1 and trails on 9. 39% of adults have high blood pressure locally.
| Grand River | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Grand River | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 6.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Grand River
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Grand River
About 9 of every 100 Grand River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
100% of working residents leave Grand River for work
Where Grand River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Grand River
City in Iowa, United States
Grand River is a city in northwest Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 196 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,017 ft
- ZIP code
- 50108
Questions about Grand River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Grand River, IA a good place to live?
Grand River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.