Iowa real estate markets
Compare 72 Iowa counties by rent, home prices and property tax, using public government data. Among counties of 50,000 people or more, the median rent-to-price is 0.49% in Iowa and 0.52% nationwide.
Where the numbers stand out
72 counties · Swipe the table to see every column
| Market | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wapello County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.86% | -1.4% | +7.3% | $125,100 | $1,076 | 1.58% | 35,362 |
| Harrison County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.82% | -3.0% | +7.7% | $176,000 | $1,450 | 1.32% | 14,632 |
| Des Moines County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.81% | +4.0% | +6.4% | $136,500 | $1,104 | 1.51% | 38,487 |
| Wright County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.79% | +16.5% | +8.0% | $119,600 | $944 | 1.51% | 12,791 |
| Hardin County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.76% | -2.0% | +6.0% | $122,500 | $927 | 1.37% | 16,639 |
| Union County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.76% | +11.0% | +7.2% | $122,000 | $927 | 1.80% | 11,993 |
| Guthrie County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.76% | +1.4% | +7.7% | $180,100 | $1,360 | 1.22% | 10,688 |
| Montgomery County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.76% | +15.5% | +12.8% | $121,400 | $927 | 1.65% | 10,214 |
| Appanoose County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.75% | +3.1% | +9.1% | $124,200 | $927 | 1.34% | 12,184 |
| Pottawattamie County, IACouncil Bluffs rents · Run a deal | 0.74% | +5.5% | +8.6% | $195,700 | $1,450 | 1.57% | 93,424 |
| Page County, IAShenandoah rents · Run a deal | 0.74% | +2.7% | +8.2% | $125,300 | $927 | 1.41% | 15,131 |
| Lee County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.69% | +7.2% | +7.0% | $141,400 | $976 | 1.38% | 32,893 |
| Fayette County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.69% | +12.1% | +7.0% | $136,800 | $940 | 1.30% | 19,288 |
| Winnebago County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.69% | +6.2% | +6.9% | $135,000 | $927 | 1.32% | 10,583 |
| Jefferson County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.67% | +0.3% | +6.9% | $163,400 | $1,096 | 1.41% | 15,705 |
| Hancock County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.66% | -2.0% | +7.0% | $141,400 | $927 | 1.18% | 10,671 |
| Woodbury County, IASioux City rents · Run a deal | 0.65% | +3.6% | +7.9% | $183,200 | $1,194 | 1.45% | 106,247 |
| Marshall County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.65% | +4.1% | +7.8% | $145,500 | $940 | 1.42% | 40,114 |
| Buena Vista County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.65% | +7.3% | +8.3% | $159,500 | $1,031 | 1.21% | 20,753 |
| Floyd County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.65% | +2.2% | +5.0% | $143,500 | $927 | 1.34% | 15,328 |
| Tama County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.64% | +3.2% | +6.7% | $148,600 | $945 | 1.37% | 16,868 |
| Hamilton County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.64% | +11.4% | +7.1% | $156,400 | $1,004 | 1.26% | 14,886 |
| Kossuth County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.64% | +2.1% | +6.4% | $148,300 | $954 | 1.00% | 14,516 |
| Cass County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.62% | +1.2% | +7.7% | $150,300 | $927 | 1.34% | 13,096 |
| Louisa County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.62% | +15.8% | +7.5% | $150,100 | $927 | 1.17% | 10,678 |
| Mills County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.61% | +3.5% | +8.0% | $237,800 | $1,450 | 1.47% | 14,568 |
| Muscatine County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.60% | +2.7% | +6.7% | $182,100 | $1,093 | 1.50% | 42,559 |
| Webster County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.60% | +3.5% | +5.5% | $153,800 | $927 | 1.39% | 36,886 |
| Mahaska County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.60% | +2.2% | +8.9% | $157,800 | $946 | 1.32% | 22,021 |
| Crawford County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.60% | +11.2% | +8.8% | $153,700 | $927 | 1.28% | 16,277 |
| Black Hawk County, IAWaterloo rents · Run a deal | 0.58% | +1.8% | +6.6% | $188,900 | $1,096 | 1.50% | 131,049 |
| Clinton County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.58% | +5.1% | +6.9% | $160,600 | $927 | 1.53% | 46,268 |
| Henry County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.58% | -2.8% | +5.5% | $164,300 | $958 | 1.56% | 20,004 |
| Cherokee County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.58% | +4.5% | +8.3% | $158,700 | $927 | 0.99% | 11,600 |
| Shelby County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.57% | +5.5% | +8.9% | $164,000 | $927 | 1.28% | 11,778 |
| Cerro Gordo County, IAMason City rents · Run a deal | 0.56% | +1.5% | +7.0% | $166,400 | $927 | 1.45% | 42,632 |
| Butler County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.56% | +6.6% | +7.5% | $165,400 | $927 | 1.35% | 14,268 |
| Clayton County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.55% | +1.8% | +7.7% | $168,500 | $927 | 1.29% | 17,013 |
| Madison County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.55% | +0.4% | +7.7% | $245,100 | $1,360 | 1.48% | 16,926 |
| Grundy County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.55% | +1.9% | +7.6% | $198,800 | $1,096 | 1.14% | 12,384 |
| O'Brien County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.54% | +5.8% | +8.1% | $173,100 | $927 | 0.98% | 14,126 |
| Allamakee County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.54% | +5.3% | +8.3% | $172,300 | $927 | 1.27% | 14,092 |
| Jasper County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.53% | +0.6% | +8.1% | $186,300 | $989 | 1.41% | 37,954 |
| Buchanan County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.53% | +3.9% | +6.5% | $176,000 | $937 | 1.36% | 20,694 |
| Carroll County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.53% | +0.7% | +7.4% | $176,000 | $927 | 1.09% | 20,594 |
| Jackson County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.53% | +11.7% | +8.8% | $175,000 | $927 | 1.23% | 19,390 |
| Mitchell County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.53% | +9.2% | +8.9% | $175,100 | $927 | 1.10% | 10,575 |
| Polk County, IADes Moines rents · Run a deal | 0.52% | +1.7% | +7.0% | $262,100 | $1,360 | 1.68% | 503,175 |
| Delaware County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.52% | +2.1% | +8.2% | $177,900 | $927 | 1.34% | 17,558 |
| Clay County, IAIowa rents · Run a deal | 0.52% | +5.0% | +6.4% | $178,600 | $927 | 1.15% | 16,461 |
Home prices
Home prices in Iowa rose 37% over the 5 years to Q2 2026.
- 1 year
- +3%
- 5 years
- +37%
- 10 years
- +71%
From the FHFA House Price Index for Iowa (state level), updated Mar 31, 2026. It tracks repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes, so it shows the area's trend, not what any one home is worth. See what local prices suggest your rental is worth.
Keep looking
How to read this
Use this to shortlist, not to decide. These are county-wide figures, and a single county can hold very different neighborhoods. Check a real deal with the rental cash flow calculator.
Rent-to-price is the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of the median home value. It's a rough comparison between counties. The two figures describe different homes, and the home value lags current prices, so it can look better than today's market in places where prices rose quickly.
2-bed rent is HUD's Fair Market Rent (fiscal year from Oct 1, 2026): the 40th percentile for recent movers, including utilities. HUD often uses one figure across a whole metro area, so neighboring counties can match.
Home value and population are Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates through 2024. Home values are what owners report. Counties under 10,000 people aren't listed.
Prices are the FHFA House Price Index through 2025: the latest year's change, and the average yearly change over five years. FHFA calls its county index developmental, and it doesn't cover every county.
Property tax is median taxes paid divided by median home value, from the Census. It reflects what current owners pay. An investor buying today can pay more where assessments are capped for homeowners, as in Florida and California.
People and jobs: income, vacant homes (seasonal homes count as vacant, which can look high in vacation areas) and renters are Census 5-year estimates. Population growth compares two Census releases five years apart. Rent ÷ income is a year of the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of median household income. Unemployment is the Bureau of Labor Statistics yearly average for 2025.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Iowa county has the highest rent-to-price ratio?
- Wapello County, at 0.86%: a 2-bedroom rent of $1,076 against a median home value of $125,100. It's a rough comparison, and a high ratio can come with slower growth or weaker demand, so check the other columns too.
- Where have Iowa home prices grown fastest?
- Montgomery County, at an average of +12.8% a year over five years, on the FHFA House Price Index. Past growth doesn't predict future growth.
- Which Iowa county has the lowest property tax?
- Lyon County, at about 0.87% of home value, based on what current owners pay. An investor buying today can pay more where assessments are capped for homeowners.
- Where is the Iowa population growing fastest?
- Dallas County, at +4.4% a year, comparing two Census releases five years apart. These are estimates, and they're less exact for small places.
- How does Iowa compare with the rest of the US?
- Among counties of 50,000 people or more, the median rent-to-price is 0.49% in Iowa and 0.52% nationwide. The ratio is the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of the median home value.
- Are home prices going up in Iowa?
- Home prices in Iowa rose 37% over the 5 years to Q2 2026. In the latest year (to Q2 2026) they rose 3%. These figures come from the FHFA House Price Index for Iowa (state level), which tracks repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes. It shows the trend for the area, not what any one home is worth.