Grimes and DeForest 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
Grimes
DeForest
Opportunity
85 · Top 3%
vs80 · Top 7%
Growth
82 · Top 3%
vs88 · Top 1%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs57 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 18%
vs92 · Top 9%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs96 · Top 18%
Access
93 · Top 45%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
86 · Top 1%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Grimes | DeForest | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,366 | 11,501 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $120,037 | $106,419 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $48,382 | $53,093 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,248/sq mi | 1,221/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $304,700 | $359,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,251 | $1,442 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 77.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.5% | 41.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.4% | 5.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 240 | 613 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 14.7 | 53.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 62.2% | 101.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 12°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.5" | 37.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.7 min | 27.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.4 | 40.7 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Grimes
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, strong wind.
DeForest
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Grimes, IA · DeForest, WI · How this is calculated: methodology