Housing decision brief
Ida County, IA Housing Market
Ida County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable 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.
4th lowest home value out of 99 Iowa counties with data | 6th lowest rent out of 99
Median home value
$108,800
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$669/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$675/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.7x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
22.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$6/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$108,800 median home value is 27% below Iowa county median
Lower rent
$669/mo is 16% below Iowa county median
Rent burden below pressure line
22.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 81.7 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$62,841 median income is 9% below Iowa county median
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
- 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 Ida 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. | $108,800 | $148,600 | $281,900 | 27% favorable27% below Iowa county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $669 | $800 | $1,163 | 16% favorable16% below Iowa county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $675 | $886 | $1,672 | 24% favorable24% below Iowa county median |
Median household income | $62,841 | $68,704 | $74,755 | 9% pressure9% below Iowa county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.06% | 1.34% | 1.02% | 21% favorable21% below Iowa county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 22.00% | 25.00% | N/A | 12% favorable22.00% 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
+$36,081
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$33,912
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Ida County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $669/month in gross rent, with 22.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
At $669/month rent versus $675/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $6/month cheaper , a 1% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $26,760/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $28,929/year. With a median household income of $62,841, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 22.0% of renter households in Ida County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Iowa, Ida County is less affordable than Carroll County by roughly 7% ($669/mo vs $722/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur County, IA | $109,500 | $663/mo | Same-state comparison near $109,500 home value and $663/mo rent. |
| Franklin County, IA | $118,500 | $649/mo | Same-state comparison near $118,500 home value and $649/mo rent. |
| Taylor County, IA | $109,700 | $707/mo | Same-state comparison near $109,700 home value and $707/mo rent. |
| Wayne County, IA | $102,300 | $660/mo | Same-state comparison near $102,300 home value and $660/mo rent. |
| Calhoun County, IA | $114,400 | $690/mo | Same-state comparison near $114,400 home value and $690/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 2 active sites in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Ida County
Is Ida County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Ida County?
How much income do you need for housing in Ida County?
What should I double-check before moving to Ida County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.