Renting in Grimes, Iowa
Zillow's typical rent in Grimes for September 2026 is $1,396 a month, up 3.4% from $1,350 in September 2025. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2020–2024 puts the median gross rent, which includes the utilities a renter pays, at $1,251 (± $140) and renter households at 29.1% (± 6.4 points) of the city's occupied homes.
Rent
Of the other eleven typical rents Zillow published for September 2026 for the cities this site covers, seven are lower and four are higher than Grimes' $1,396 (Zillow Observed Rent Index; what it measures).
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 puts the median gross rent in Grimes at $1,251 (± $140), in 2024 dollars, with the utilities the renter pays (how it differs from Zillow's figure).
By number of bedrooms
| Bedrooms | Median gross rent |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $1,178 ± $140 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,322 ± $134 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,798 ± $144 |
Renters in Grimes
Of the 6,117 (± 536) occupied homes in Grimes, about 1,782 (± 424) are rented: 29.1%, with a margin of error of 6.4 points.
Median household income in Grimes, in 2024 dollars: owner households $130,014 (± $14,986).
Of the 1,739 (± 429) renter households for which the survey could compute rent as a share of income, 27.9% (± 8.5 points) paid 30% or more of household income in gross rent and 14.3% (± 6.6 points) paid 50% or more.
Type of building
| Building | Share of rented homes |
|---|---|
| Buildings with 2 to 4 units | 8.4% ± 8.0 points · about 150 homes |
| Buildings with 20 or more units | 23.7% ± 6.5 points · about 422 homes |
| Mobile homes, boats, RVs and vans | 1.7% ± 2.7 points · about 30 homes |
Shares of 1,782 (± 424) rented homes.
American Community Survey 2020–2024, 90% margins of error. Left out for Grimes, with the reason (the limits): median gross rent for studios, 4 bedrooms and 5 or more bedrooms (no estimate published); renter households' median income (margin of error wider than 25% of it); rented homes in 1-unit buildings: detached houses, and attached ones such as row houses and buildings with 5 to 19 units (margin of error wider than 10 points).
Owning the typical home, month by month
The Buy vs Rent calculator's arithmetic for a home at Zillow's typical value for Grimes. Zillow's typical rent there is $1,396 a month (September 2026). It covers apartments as well as houses and condos, so it describes different homes from the typical value priced here.
| Per month | 10% down$34,922; loan $314,300 | 20% down$69,844; loan $279,378 |
|---|---|---|
| Home priceZillow typical value, September 2026 | $349,222 | $349,222 |
| Principal and interest30-year fixed at 7.18%: Freddie Mac's U.S. average, week ending November 5, 2026 | $2,129 | $1,893 |
| Property tax$5,245 a year: Grimes city, Dallas Center-Grimes schools, Dallas County district, $34.80738 per $1,000, after the 44.5345% rollback, less the homestead credit | $437 | $437 |
| Insurance allowance0.5% of the price a year | $146 | $146 |
| Maintenance allowance1% of the price a year | $291 | $291 |
| Monthly cost to own | $3,003 | $2,766 |
Rounded to the dollar, totals before rounding. The price stands in for the assessed value. The tax takes off the homestead credit, as the calculator does; a buyer now gets the new homestead exemption instead (how this is figured). Not counted: mortgage insurance, closing costs, HOA dues, utilities, equity and changes in value. Grimes' four taxing districts run from $34.80738 to $39.79064 per $1,000 (every district).
Open these numbers in the Buy vs Rent calculator (10% down) →
Grimes rental-housing rules
What the City of Grimes says about rental housing in the city, quoted from its website as of November 5, 2026:
- “Rental owners shall be required to register their rental unit(s) every two years with the City.” (Rental Program)
- “Rental owners shall be required to provide a Rental Owner Acknowledgment Form with their registration. This form indicates that the owner has reviewed each unit for conformance with the inspection checklist. This is also referred to as the self-inspection.” (Rental Program)
- “The City will seek to schedule and conduct an audit inspection of each rental unit, every four years.” (Rental Program)
The city's own wording. The Iowa Code's rules apply as well.
More on Grimes
- Buying a home in Grimes
- Grimes property taxes
- School districts: Dallas Center-Grimes, Johnston, Urbandale
- Iowa renter rules
- Renting in the Des Moines metro
← Renting in Altoona · Renting in Indianola →
Sources
- Zillow Research, Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), cities, all homes plus multifamily, monthly. Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, by place: tables B25064, B25031, B25003, B25070, B25032 and B25119, via the Census Data API. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Zillow Research, Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), cities, single-family homes and condos, middle tier, monthly. Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
- Freddie Mac, via FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis), 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States (MORTGAGE30US). Retrieved November 5, 2026. Copyright, 2016, Freddie Mac. Reprinted with permission.
- Dallas County Auditor, Dallas County Tax Rates for all Taxing Districts: January 1, 2025 Valuations for Taxes Payable in Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
- City of Grimes, Rental Program. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
Definitions, formulas and the Iowa Code: the renting page's sources. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Published figures for the dates named, not a quote for any home or lease. Not financial, legal or real-estate advice.