Housing decision brief
Madison County, IA Housing Market
Madison County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, 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.
92nd lowest home value out of 99 Iowa counties with data | 87th lowest rent out of 99
Median home value
$236,900
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$938/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,378/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
25.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$440/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Rent burden below pressure line
25.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
1.55% effective property-tax rate is 16% above 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
Poor Fit For
- 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 Madison 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. | $236,900 | $148,600 | $281,900 | 59% pressure59% above Iowa county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $938 | $800 | $1,163 | 17% pressure17% above Iowa county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,378 | $886 | $1,672 | 56% pressure56% above Iowa county median |
Median household income | $89,542 | $68,704 | $74,755 | 30% favorable30% above Iowa county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.55% | 1.34% | 1.02% | 16% pressure16% above Iowa county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 25.00% | 25.00% | N/A | Near state median25.00% 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
+$52,022
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$30,485
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Madison County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $938/month , about 12.6% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $938/month rent versus $1,378/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $440/month cheaper , a 32% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $37,520/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $59,057/year. With a median household income of $89,542, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 25.0% of renter households in Madison County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Jefferson County where rent averages $881/month, Madison County is approximately 6% more 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mills County, IA | $228,700 | $888/mo | Same-state comparison near $228,700 home value and $888/mo rent. |
| Sioux County, IA | $235,600 | $888/mo | Same-state comparison near $235,600 home value and $888/mo rent. |
| Warren County, IA | $252,800 | $975/mo | Same-state comparison near $252,800 home value and $975/mo rent. |
| Dubuque County, IA | $226,100 | $944/mo | Same-state comparison near $226,100 home value and $944/mo rent. |
| Dickinson County, IA | $251,600 | $930/mo | Same-state comparison near $251,600 home value and $930/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 Madison County
Is Madison County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Madison County?
How much income do you need for housing in Madison County?
What should I double-check before moving to Madison County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.