County housing intelligence
Iowa Housing Market by County
Iowa is not one housing market. Across 99 counties, the median county home value is $148,600 and the median county rent is $800/mo. The useful question is not whether Iowa is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$148,600
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$800/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
99
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Iowa Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Dallas County, Johnson County, Warren County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Pocahontas County, Wayne County, Emmet County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Dallas County, Polk County, Johnson County lead on rent, while Palo Alto County, Sac County, Franklin County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Pocahontas County, Emmet County, Taylor County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Pocahontas County
$93,300
- 2. Wayne County
$102,300
- 3. Emmet County
$106,200
- 4. Ida County
$108,800
- 5. Decatur County
$109,500
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Pocahontas County
1.5x home-value-to-income
- 2. Emmet County
1.6x home-value-to-income
- 3. Taylor County
1.6x home-value-to-income
- 4. Adams County
1.7x home-value-to-income
- 5. Calhoun County
1.7x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Palo Alto County
$599/mo
- 2. Sac County
$643/mo
- 3. Franklin County
$649/mo
- 4. Wayne County
$660/mo
- 5. Decatur County
$663/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Plymouth County
17.0% rent burden
- 2. Sac County
17.0% rent burden
- 3. Worth County
18.0% rent burden
- 4. Allamakee County
19.0% rent burden
- 5. Chickasaw County
19.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Lyon County
0.92% effective tax rate
- 2. Dickinson County
0.98% effective tax rate
- 3. O'Brien County
0.99% effective tax rate
- 4. Sac County
1.03% effective tax rate
- 5. Osceola County
1.05% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Adams County
$157/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Wapello County
$119/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Kossuth County
$110/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Pocahontas County
$99/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Wright County
$72/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Louisa County
$80,223 income, 1.7x value-to-income
- 2. Davis County
$79,505 income, 1.8x value-to-income
- 3. Pocahontas County
$63,423 income, 1.5x value-to-income
- 4. Taylor County
$67,279 income, 1.6x value-to-income
- 5. Emmet County
$65,181 income, 1.6x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Pocahontas County $93,300 home value, $63,423 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Wayne County $102,300 home value, 1.35% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Jefferson County $881/mo rent, 34.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Dallas County $333,400 home value, $102,349 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Iowa County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas County | $93,300 | $743/mo | $63,423 | 1.5x | 1.14% |
| Emmet County | $106,200 | $731/mo | $65,181 | 1.6x | 1.48% |
| Taylor County | $109,700 | $707/mo | $67,279 | 1.6x | 1.21% |
| Adams County | $116,900 | $909/mo | $68,828 | 1.7x | 1.27% |
| Calhoun County | $114,400 | $690/mo | $66,875 | 1.7x | 1.32% |
| Hardin County | $113,000 | $814/mo | $64,906 | 1.7x | 1.43% |
| Ida County | $108,800 | $669/mo | $62,841 | 1.7x | 1.06% |
| Louisa County | $137,600 | $797/mo | $80,223 | 1.7x | 1.27% |
| Lucas County | $117,000 | $738/mo | $67,921 | 1.7x | 1.48% |
| Montgomery County | $109,900 | $782/mo | $63,190 | 1.7x | 1.79% |
| Palo Alto County | $119,300 | $599/mo | $68,963 | 1.7x | 1.23% |
| Wayne County | $102,300 | $660/mo | $59,118 | 1.7x | 1.35% |
| Wright County | $109,800 | $788/mo | $64,033 | 1.7x | 1.54% |
| Davis County | $146,000 | $878/mo | $79,505 | 1.8x | 1.52% |
| Hamilton County | $132,300 | $853/mo | $71,750 | 1.8x | 1.37% |
| Hancock County | $129,300 | $784/mo | $70,212 | 1.8x | 1.19% |
| Keokuk County | $112,200 | $822/mo | $60,856 | 1.8x | 1.33% |
| Marshall County | $134,100 | $860/mo | $72,785 | 1.8x | 1.51% |
| Osceola County | $123,800 | $796/mo | $69,138 | 1.8x | 1.05% |
| Decatur County | $109,500 | $663/mo | $57,146 | 1.9x | 1.70% |
| Franklin County | $118,500 | $649/mo | $63,648 | 1.9x | 1.35% |
| Monona County | $122,600 | $795/mo | $62,944 | 1.9x | 1.15% |
| Monroe County | $135,900 | $787/mo | $72,518 | 1.9x | 1.52% |
| Sac County | $138,400 | $643/mo | $70,991 | 1.9x | 1.03% |
| Wapello County | $112,900 | $950/mo | $60,034 | 1.9x | 1.64% |
| Worth County | $142,300 | $703/mo | $76,875 | 1.9x | 1.08% |
| Audubon County | $110,400 | $707/mo | $54,152 | 2.0x | 1.23% |
| Fremont County | $147,500 | $753/mo | $73,750 | 2.0x | 1.30% |
| Guthrie County | $163,900 | $823/mo | $79,981 | 2.0x | 1.33% |
| Howard County | $133,900 | $699/mo | $67,336 | 2.0x | 1.30% |
| Mahaska County | $140,900 | $821/mo | $69,019 | 2.0x | 1.39% |
| Van Buren County | $118,800 | $686/mo | $60,183 | 2.0x | 1.20% |
| Webster County | $138,500 | $762/mo | $68,054 | 2.0x | 1.48% |
| Adair County | $140,600 | $730/mo | $66,176 | 2.1x | 1.32% |
| Crawford County | $136,300 | $727/mo | $65,039 | 2.1x | 1.32% |
| Floyd County | $133,300 | $672/mo | $64,500 | 2.1x | 1.39% |
| Harrison County | $165,300 | $854/mo | $77,027 | 2.1x | 1.34% |
| Kossuth County | $135,100 | $859/mo | $65,656 | 2.1x | 1.06% |
| Lee County | $123,600 | $814/mo | $59,803 | 2.1x | 1.50% |
| Page County | $120,000 | $731/mo | $57,752 | 2.1x | 1.43% |
| Tama County | $139,900 | $865/mo | $67,955 | 2.1x | 1.39% |
| Union County | $117,800 | $683/mo | $56,813 | 2.1x | 1.79% |
| Winnebago County | $132,300 | $712/mo | $63,719 | 2.1x | 1.36% |
| Buchanan County | $171,400 | $802/mo | $78,430 | 2.2x | 1.33% |
| Buena Vista County | $146,900 | $835/mo | $66,564 | 2.2x | 1.24% |
| Butler County | $156,500 | $780/mo | $69,651 | 2.2x | 1.38% |
| Cass County | $133,300 | $769/mo | $61,657 | 2.2x | 1.43% |
| Chickasaw County | $164,400 | $779/mo | $73,421 | 2.2x | 1.10% |
| Delaware County | $168,700 | $743/mo | $76,205 | 2.2x | 1.34% |
| Fayette County | $130,800 | $813/mo | $58,764 | 2.2x | 1.32% |
| Grundy County | $180,500 | $777/mo | $83,617 | 2.2x | 1.07% |
| Humboldt County | $146,900 | $731/mo | $66,994 | 2.2x | 1.29% |
| Ringgold County | $150,300 | $745/mo | $69,821 | 2.2x | 1.27% |
| Appanoose County | $119,800 | $779/mo | $51,146 | 2.3x | 1.25% |
| Benton County | $198,400 | $815/mo | $84,742 | 2.3x | 1.32% |
| Cherokee County | $145,100 | $711/mo | $64,478 | 2.3x | 1.08% |
| Des Moines County | $137,000 | $908/mo | $60,662 | 2.3x | 1.53% |
| Henry County | $148,600 | $770/mo | $64,604 | 2.3x | 1.61% |
| O'Brien County | $158,900 | $770/mo | $68,216 | 2.3x | 0.99% |
| Shelby County | $156,200 | $810/mo | $67,690 | 2.3x | 1.26% |
| Boone County | $191,200 | $826/mo | $79,741 | 2.4x | 1.43% |
| Cerro Gordo County | $154,100 | $840/mo | $65,537 | 2.4x | 1.50% |
| Clarke County | $160,200 | $836/mo | $66,821 | 2.4x | 1.46% |
| Clinton County | $153,800 | $825/mo | $65,177 | 2.4x | 1.55% |
| Greene County | $140,500 | $774/mo | $59,159 | 2.4x | 1.20% |
| Jackson County | $170,000 | $800/mo | $71,605 | 2.4x | 1.25% |
| Mitchell County | $164,100 | $739/mo | $68,704 | 2.4x | 1.16% |
| Bremer County | $207,200 | $844/mo | $83,343 | 2.5x | 1.35% |
| Cedar County | $199,700 | $860/mo | $79,080 | 2.5x | 1.22% |
| Clayton County | $155,700 | $764/mo | $62,326 | 2.5x | 1.38% |
| Jasper County | $176,800 | $822/mo | $70,128 | 2.5x | 1.42% |
| Jones County | $183,400 | $759/mo | $73,071 | 2.5x | 1.30% |
| Muscatine County | $172,400 | $966/mo | $69,512 | 2.5x | 1.55% |
| Woodbury County | $172,000 | $946/mo | $70,147 | 2.5x | 1.48% |
| Allamakee County | $171,900 | $717/mo | $66,000 | 2.6x | 1.22% |
| Carroll County | $175,700 | $722/mo | $68,528 | 2.6x | 1.05% |
| Iowa County | $189,800 | $722/mo | $72,185 | 2.6x | 1.35% |
| Madison County | $236,900 | $938/mo | $89,542 | 2.6x | 1.55% |
| Mills County | $228,700 | $888/mo | $87,810 | 2.6x | 1.46% |
| Pottawattamie County | $183,600 | $970/mo | $71,446 | 2.6x | 1.61% |
| Clay County | $171,500 | $798/mo | $64,082 | 2.7x | 1.18% |
| Linn County | $204,400 | $915/mo | $76,421 | 2.7x | 1.66% |
| Marion County | $211,100 | $880/mo | $78,059 | 2.7x | 1.29% |
| Plymouth County | $218,600 | $865/mo | $81,600 | 2.7x | 1.08% |
| Warren County | $252,800 | $975/mo | $92,990 | 2.7x | 1.50% |
| Black Hawk County | $182,400 | $962/mo | $64,581 | 2.8x | 1.53% |
| Jefferson County | $161,200 | $881/mo | $56,824 | 2.8x | 1.49% |
| Poweshiek County | $184,200 | $864/mo | $64,837 | 2.8x | 1.28% |
| Scott County | $212,500 | $958/mo | $76,363 | 2.8x | 1.52% |
| Sioux County | $235,600 | $888/mo | $84,736 | 2.8x | 1.16% |
| Washington County | $199,600 | $862/mo | $71,339 | 2.8x | 1.35% |
| Dubuque County | $226,100 | $944/mo | $75,919 | 3.0x | 1.26% |
| Lyon County | $215,600 | $802/mo | $72,881 | 3.0x | 0.92% |
| Polk County | $248,400 | $1,113/mo | $81,621 | 3.0x | 1.76% |
| Winneshiek County | $239,000 | $800/mo | $75,652 | 3.2x | 1.16% |
| Dallas County | $333,400 | $1,239/mo | $102,349 | 3.3x | 1.45% |
| Dickinson County | $251,600 | $930/mo | $74,570 | 3.4x | 0.98% |
| Story County | $243,600 | $1,019/mo | $69,006 | 3.5x | 1.47% |
| Johnson County | $293,100 | $1,104/mo | $74,721 | 3.9x | 1.56% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Iowa by county?
What is the typical rent in Iowa by county?
Which Iowa counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.