Ankeny and Grimes receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Ankeny
Grimes
Opportunity
87 · Top 2%
vs85 · Top 3%
Growth
70 · Top 16%
vs82 · Top 3%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 12%
vs85 · Top 18%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 10%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
83 · Top 10%
vs88 · Top 5%
Access
94 · Top 41%
vs93 · Top 45%
Economic stability
83 · Top 4%
vs86 · Top 1%
Measured values
| Metric | Ankeny | Grimes | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 72,615 | 16,366 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $108,198 | $120,037 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,306 | $48,382 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,276/sq mi | 1,248/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $331,000 | $304,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,319 | $1,251 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 70.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.1% | 51.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.2% | 4.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 881 | 240 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.1 | 14.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -34.7% | 62.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.5" | 36.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.6 min | 20.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.6 | 35.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.65 | 15.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 81.1% | 83.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 78.0% | 81.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.7% | 19.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Ankeny
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Grimes
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: Ankeny, IA · Grimes, IA · How this is calculated: methodology