Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 253, settled in 1870.
Of the 150 Kansas towns we compare, none has a lower going rate for rent than Grinnell. Grinnell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 162 in 1920, a peak of 449 in 1970, 260 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 2 maps from 1979 on.
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.
Homes in Grinnell are typically worth about $144,000, up 0.6% in a year, 42% below the Kansas typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Grinnell had 66 jobs in 2023, down 22 from 2013. 2.9% of Grinnell residents live below the poverty line. Its mean commuting time is 19 minutes, against 20 minutes in Kansas’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Quinter (25%), Oakley (7%) and Hays (6%).
| Grinnell | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.9% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.7% | 15% | 8% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 17° and about 20 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
CDC measures, 32 in all: Grinnell beats Kansas on 6 and trails on 6. In Grinnell, 29% of adults get no exercise outside work, where Kansas’ towns sit at 26% and U.S. towns at 25%. Among adults in the town, 31% sleep under 7 hours.
| Grinnell | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 35% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Grinnell | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.1% | 11.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.1% | 8.2% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.6% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected losses in Grinnell break down as 27% from hail and 25% from inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Grinnell after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2025. Its risk rating from FEMA stands at 46 of 100.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Grinnell; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Grinnell residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
Where Grinnell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Gove County, Kansas
Grinnell is a city in Gove County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 260. It is located approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) north of the intersection of I-70 and Grove County Rd 30.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Grinnell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.