Housing decision brief
Decatur County, IA Housing Market
Decatur County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
5th lowest home value out of 99 Iowa counties with data | 5th lowest rent out of 99
Median home value
$109,500
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$663/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$849/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
19.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$186/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$109,500 median home value is 26% below Iowa county median
Lower rent
$663/mo is 17% below Iowa county median
Rent burden below pressure line
19.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 76.4 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$57,146 median income is 17% below Iowa county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.70% effective property-tax rate is 27% above Iowa county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Decatur County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $109,500 | $148,600 | $281,900 | 26% favorable26% below Iowa county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $663 | $800 | $1,163 | 17% favorable17% below Iowa county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $849 | $886 | $1,672 | Near state median4% below Iowa county median |
Median household income | $57,146 | $68,704 | $74,755 | 17% pressure17% below Iowa county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.70% | 1.34% | 1.02% | 27% pressure27% above Iowa county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 19.00% | 25.00% | N/A | 24% favorable19.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$30,626
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$20,760
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Decatur County is affordable. The median rent is $663/month against a median household income of $57,146, putting rent at 13.9% of income.
Rent vs own
At $663/month rent versus $849/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $186/month cheaper , a 22% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $26,520/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $36,386/year. With a median household income of $57,146, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 19.0% of renter households in Decatur County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Allamakee County where rent averages $717/month, Decatur County is approximately 8% less expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, IA | $102,300 | $660/mo | Same-state comparison near $102,300 home value and $660/mo rent. |
| Union County, IA | $117,800 | $683/mo | Same-state comparison near $117,800 home value and $683/mo rent. |
| Ida County, IA | $108,800 | $669/mo | Same-state comparison near $108,800 home value and $669/mo rent. |
| Audubon County, IA | $110,400 | $707/mo | Same-state comparison near $110,400 home value and $707/mo rent. |
| Van Buren County, IA | $118,800 | $686/mo | Same-state comparison near $118,800 home value and $686/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Decatur County
Is Decatur County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Decatur County?
How much income do you need for housing in Decatur County?
What should I double-check before moving to Decatur County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.