Grimes has added over 2,400 new residents since 2020, boosting the city’s population to 17,809, results from a special census show. The city’s population in 2020 was 15,392. Grimes conducted the special in the second half of 2025. The census was paused temporarily during the federal government shutdown. Between 2020 and 2025, the number of housing units in Grimes grew to 7,578 from 5,708, a 32.7% increase. The city is expected to receive an additional $1.75 million over the next four years from Iowa’s Road Use Tax, which can be used for snow removal, infrastructure improvements and road maintenance. Money from the tax is distributed on a per capita basis.