Iowa.
45th most expensive state. Typical home $236,623 (+3.3% in a year), estimated payment $1,304 a month. As of Sep 2026.
to buy the typical home at today's mortgage rate — +$642 (+107%) since Jan 2020.
- 1 year
- Up $7,513 +3%
- $229,110$236,623 since Sep 2025
- 5 years
- Up $48,620 +26%
- $188,002$236,623 since Sep 2021
- 10 years
- Up $94,050 +66%
- $142,573$236,623 since Sep 2016
Monthly payment to buy the typical home
Home value × that month's 30-year mortgage rate, 20% down, principal and interest. This is the line households feel: prices and rates compound each other.
- Iowa$1,242
- United States$1,922
At the last five years' pace, a typical home here doubles in price every 15 years.
Typical home values in Iowa rose 3.3% over the past year — faster than the nation's +1.2%.
Buying the typical Iowa home now takes 21% of the median household income ($75,059/yr, ACS 2020–2024) — the standard affordability line is 30%.
Share of median income needed to buy
Monthly payment for the typical home against the local median household income. Income is an annual survey, stepped — the saw-teeth are survey years, not markets.
- Iowa19.86%
- United States28.57%
Iowa home values
Zillow Home Value Index against the national figure. Mid-tier homes, smoothed and seasonally adjusted.
- Iowa$236,623
- United States$366,157
Metros in Iowa
Largest first, by population. Zillow publishes rent for fewer metros than home values, so a dash means no series — not a market at zero.
| # | Metro activate to sort by Metro | Rent activate to sort by Rent | 1-yr Δ activate to sort by 1-yr Δ | Home value sorted descending, activate to sort ascending | 1-yr Δ activate to sort by 1-yr Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spirit Lake | $1,475 | — | $384,338 | +1.7% |
| 2 | Iowa City | $1,757 | +7.9% | $300,040 | +3.0% |
| 3 | Des Moines | $1,280 | +2.1% | $292,513 | +0.5% |
| 4 | Ames | $1,162 | +2.7% | $277,302 | +2.6% |
| 5 | Dubuque | $1,063 | +4.3% | $277,234 | +4.3% |
| 6 | Cedar Rapids | $1,226 | +14.1% | $246,602 | +3.9% |
| 7 | Sioux City | $1,295 | +4.7% | $224,094 | +3.4% |
| 8 | Muscatine | — | — | $205,722 | +5.6% |
| 9 | Mason City | $951 | — | $202,575 | +3.2% |
| 10 | Oskaloosa | — | — | $200,928 | +8.5% |
| 11 | Waterloo | $1,023 | +4.1% | $197,585 | +0.9% |
| 12 | Spencer | — | — | $195,991 | +4.2% |
| 13 | Marshalltown | $1,124 | +6.5% | $192,354 | +3.6% |
| 14 | Storm Lake | — | — | $186,352 | -0.2% |
| 15 | Clinton | $833 | — | $181,485 | +6.7% |
| 16 | Fairfield | $743 | — | $181,446 | +3.0% |
| 17 | Burlington | $961 | — | $143,369 | +3.0% |
| 18 | Ottumwa | — | — | $127,896 | +2.4% |
| 19 | Fort Madison | $690 | — | $125,210 | +1.7% |
| 20 | Fort Dodge | $782 | +8.9% | — | — |
| 21 | Pella | $1,009 | +1.7% | — | — |
| 22 | Carroll | — | — | — | — |
Go deeper: every zip in Iowa.