City · Ida County, Iowa

Ida Grove, Iowa

Ida Grove is a city in Ida County, Iowa. It has 1,967 residents. Ida Grove, Iowa has a quality-of-life score of 78 out of 100 (high), ranking #3,394 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Iowa it ranks #156 of 281 cities and towns. It ranks best on public libraries (high), social associations (high) and drug overdose deaths (low). It ranks worst on mental health providers (low), new business applications (low) and flu vaccinations (low).

78High

Quality-of-life score: #3,394 of 15,651 cities and towns
Iowa: #156 of 281 in IA
Population: 1,967 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 895.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 1938010

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety74#4,027/15,637
Economy49#7,898/15,631
Housing97#457/14,977
Health59#6,421/15,609
Healthcare23#12,091/15,650
Environment93#1,030/15,453
Education54#7,121/15,649
Infrastructure44#8,730/15,650
Community96#669/15,651
Leisure & amenities77#3,634/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ida Grove, Iowa ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Ida County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Public libraries · high7.4 /10k
100/100Iowa 1.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesIda County value
Social associations · high22.0 /10k
99/100Iowa 14.3 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteIda County value
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Iowa 9.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataIda County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.5×
98/100Iowa 2.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Rent-burdened households · low23.3%
98/100Iowa 43.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Average commute time · low13.1 min
98/100Iowa 19.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013

Weaknesses

Mental health providers · low15 /100k
0/100Iowa 226 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteIda County value
New business applications · low6.2 /1k
1/100Iowa 10.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauIda County value
Flu vaccinations · low20.0%
1/100Iowa 51.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteIda County value
Primary care physicians · low15 /100k
2/100Iowa 74 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteIda County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100Iowa 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsIda County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high82 mi
14/100Iowa 60 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauIda County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
1.0 /1k (2021) → 1.5 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+57%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Average commute timeImproving
22.3 min (2015-2019) → 13.1 min (2020-2024)
−41%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
80.9% (2015-2019) → 88.0% (2020-2024)
+7 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioImproving
2.0× (2015-2019) → 1.5× (2020-2024)
−23%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Median household incomeImproving
$49,688 (2015-2019) → $61,250 (2020-2024)
+23%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
27.6% (2015-2019) → 23.3% (2020-2024)
−4.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Ida Grove, Iowa improved on 1 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 12 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Commute−9.2 min22.3 min → 13.1 min

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Ida Grove, Iowa between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	22.3 min2015-2019	13.1 min2020-2024	−9.2 min	Improved	98%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.7%2015-2019	19.0%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Broadband subscriptions	80.9%2015-2019	88.0%2020-2024	+7 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Effective property tax rate	1.33%2015-2019	1.27%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	26%
High school diploma or higher	92.3%2015-2019	95.1%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	1.5×2020-2024	−0.5×	Within the margin of error	93%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4442015-2019	0.4462020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	49%
Median household income	$49,6882015-2019	$61,2502020-2024	+23%	Within the margin of error	40%
Poverty rate	9.7%2015-2019	8.3%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	20.4%2015-2019	17.9%2020-2024	−2.5 points	Within the margin of error	72%
Rent-burdened households	27.6%2015-2019	23.3%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.4%2015-2019	5.3%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	47%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Ida Grove, Iowa five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ida Grove, Iowa in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Ida Grove, Iowa itself moved +2.3 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,967 residents (±194)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

973 households (±103)

Ida Grove, Iowa
Iowa share

Under $25k14%†140
$25k–50k23%222
$50k–75k27%†264

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

973 households (±103)

Ida Grove, Iowa
Iowa share

Own70%677
Rent30%296

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

920 workers (±113)

Ida Grove, Iowa
Iowa share

Drive alone84%771
Carpool6.4%†59
Public transit0.0%0

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Ida County, the county holding most of Ida Grove's residents.

Ida County has 244 employer establishments, 358 for every 10,000 residents (1.44× the US rate of 248; 1.38× Iowa's), with 3,275 paid employees at an average annual pay of $56,352. The Census Bureau also counts 537 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 244; 537 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 358; US 248 · Iowa 259
Paid employees: 3,275
Average annual pay: $56,352; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Ida County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	29	42.6	8.42×More than typical	100	$49,210	45
Religious organizations	15	22	3.97×More than typical	44	$18,682	—
Specialty trade contractors	10	14.7	0.95×About typical	50	$54,720	42
Ambulatory health care services	9	13.2	0.63×Too few to compare	35	$62,486	12
Banks and credit unions	9	13.2	4.09×Too few to compare	134	$79,761	—
Gasoline stations	8	11.7	3.62×Too few to compare	127	$15,685	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	8	11.7	2.67×Too few to compare	14	$41,786	9
Construction of buildings	7	10.3	1.36×Too few to compare	7	$51,286	21
Lessors of real estate	7	10.3	0.83×Too few to compare	13	$25,385	97
Restaurants and other eating places	7	10.3	0.56×Too few to compare	29	$17,621	—
General merchandise stores	6	8.8	4.98×Too few to compare	42	$24,357	7
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	5	7.3	2.76×Too few to compare	33	$10,424	3

Rank places for an industry Open Ida County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 6,812 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Ida Grove, Iowa: $0 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,995
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

6.3KFY2020

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Ida Grove, Iowa, so they do not add up across cities.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Ida Grove is mostly in Ida County.

See federal money in Ida County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Ida Grove, Iowa is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Randy FeenstraR-IA-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Ida County90100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Ida County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1938010

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends