Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Grinnell is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, 81st of 140 graded towns in Iowa, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is health: residents are healthier than 64% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. It also does better than most on schools: its schools rank ahead of 63% of Iowa towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $65K, and 11% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $214K, 3.2 years of the county’s $67K median household income. 49% of working residents work locally in Grinnell, against 31% in Iowa’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 17 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. Its National Register listings include Merchants' National Bank and B. J. Ricker House.
Where Grinnell beats most towns.
Merchants' National Bank is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 392 in 1860, 9,564 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1893 and 2 maps from 1979 on.
18 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Grinnell is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grinnell, 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 Grinnell.
Grinnell draws workers from Newton and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
5.1 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. Grinnell’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile. Ahrens/Paschall Memorial Park, at 80 acres with 2.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Grinnell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.7% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ahrens/Paschall Memorial Park | 2.2 mi | 80 |
| 2. Arbor Lake Park | 0.8 mi | 79 |
| 3. Central Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Grinnell-Newburg Community School District. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Grinnell Community Senior High School, with 512 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grinnell Community Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 420 | A− |
| Grinnell Community Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 512 | A |
| Davis Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades 3–4 | Grades 3–4 | 213 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
6,036 jobs are based in Grinnell, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 12.3 minutes, against 19.8 across Iowa.
The average trip to work in Grinnell is 12 minutes. Since 2013, Grinnell has added 341 jobs, to 6,036 in 2023. 18% of workers work from home in Grinnell.
| Grinnell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 18% | 8.5% | 11% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Grinnell has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 12° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 30% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (37% statewide). 19% of Grinnell residents are under 18. 38% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Grinnell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 19% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 25% | 29% |
| Median age | 36.5 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 19% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
About 89 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.9 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Grinnell | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.9% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.8% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 20.7% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.3% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.7% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.5% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.5% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.9% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.2% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.3% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.2% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Against the 9,998 U.S. towns with household incomes like Grinnell’s, it is healthier than 85%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Grinnell tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures.
| Grinnell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Typical home values rose 6.7% in the year to September 2026.
| Grinnell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $895 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Grinnell
College town 19 of every 100 Grinnell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
18 places in Grinnell on the National Register of Historic Places.
14 notable people were born in Grinnell.
City in Iowa, United States
Grinnell ( grin-EL) is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,564 at the time of the 2020 census. It is best known for being the home of Grinnell College, a liberal arts college.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Grinnell grades B− overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #81 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B for health, C+ for safety and B for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
14 notable people were born here, including Danai Gurira and Bruce Braley.
