United States › Iowa › Grinnell CITY
Grinnell Iowa · 9,430 residents (2025 est.) · 5.69 sq mi
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The short version
Grinnell is a city of 9,505 people in Iowa. Getting to work takes 12 minutes on average. People stay put here: 77% were in the same home a year ago. The typical home is worth $209,500, having more than doubled since 2000. 6% of people here were born outside the United States. There are 1,671 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.5
US median: 38.9
Average education
38% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 35%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 9,105 in 2000
9,430 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,671 / sq mi
+4%since 2009
from 1,608 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 35.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
9K 9K 9K 9K 10K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Grinnell Age distribution, 2024
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Section 02
Income & economy $65,320
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,625 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $17,939 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 30.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.450 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 1.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.3%
Education & health services 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.6%
Transportation & warehousing 0%
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$209,500
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $85,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$895
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $439 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 65.2% in 2000
35.4% rent
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.19 people
+12%since 2009
from 1.95 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 17.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 49.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.4 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 93.9%(8,553)
Hispanic / Latino 1.6%(143)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 86.1%(8,186)
Hispanic / Latino 3.1%(297)
from 20 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 27 more ancestry groups with data from 24.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 85.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 60.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 13.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 16.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 7.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 66.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 85.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 18.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 38.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 14.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 5.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 73.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 91.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 73.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 93.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 2.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Women 15+
Never married 38.6%(1,670)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 5.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 61.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 20.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 24.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 78.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 34.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 23.5%(134)
Gulf War (1990s) 22.4%(128)
Share of the 571 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Grinnell, Iowa? Grinnell, Iowa has about 9,505 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Grinnell, Iowa? The typical household in Grinnell, Iowa earns about $65,320 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Grinnell, Iowa expensive? In Grinnell, Iowa, the median home is worth about $209,500, and the typical rent is about $895 a month.
How educated are people in Grinnell, Iowa? About 37.5% of adults age 25 and over in Grinnell, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Grinnell, Iowa? About 11.1% of people in Grinnell, Iowa live below the federal poverty line.
Has Grinnell, Iowa grown since 1990? Yes, Grinnell, Iowa has grown since 1990. The population has added about 603 residents, a change of about 7 percent over that period.
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