Iowa Cost of Living
Housing costs and affordability data for 99 counties.
Average Monthly Rent
$832/mo
Average Home Value
$171,037
Average Owner Cost
$950/mo
County cost atlas
Iowa housing costs by county
Compare rent, entry-price context, owner costs, and cost score in one state view. Pin a county, switch layers, then open the full county profile when a place needs closer review.
Counties
99
Avg rent
$832/mo
Owner cost
$950/mo
Avg score
52.2
Higher means lower cost pressure
Atlas layers use U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates. Rent, owner cost, and home value are county medians. Cost score rewards lower rent and lower owner costs, but affordability still depends on income, household size, commute, debt, and personal finances. Use this as decision context, not personalized financial advice.
State Cost Summary
Use these state averages as a starting point, then scan the atlas and rankings for the county-level spread behind them.
Housing Costs in Iowa: An Overview
The unweighted mean of county median rents in Iowa is $832 per month, which is 41% below the national ACS median of $1,413. This gives every county equal weight and is not an official statewide median.
Within Iowa, housing costs vary significantly by county. Dallas County has the highest median rent in this dataset at $1,311 per month and a median home value of $355,600. Decatur County has the lowest reported median rent at $611 per month and a median home value of $113,900.
The unweighted mean of county median home values in Iowa is $171,037, 49% lower than the national ACS median of $332,700. The unweighted mean of county median household incomes is $71,592; neither figure is a household-weighted statewide estimate.
Before comparing places in Iowa, start with the county-level pattern. Costs can swing dramatically between rural and urban counties. Use the atlas, rankings, and county links below to compare rent, home values, owner costs, and rent burden before opening a specific county profile.
Distribution
Rent Distribution in Iowa
How median rents are spread across 99 counties
Highest Median Rent Counties
Lowest Median Rent Counties
All Iowa Counties
Sorted by median rent, highest first. A higher cost score means lower rent and owner cost pressure within the national scoring model.
| County | Median Rent | Home Value | Owner Cost | Cost Score | Rent/Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | $1,000–$1,500$1,311/mo | $355,600 | $1,672/mo | 10.0 | 24.9% |
| Polk County | $1,000–$1,500$1,149/mo | $262,100 | $1,437/mo | 15.8 | 28.4% |
| Johnson County | $1,000–$1,500$1,122/mo | $308,600 | $1,473/mo | 16.0 | 33.1% |
| Madison County | $1,000–$1,500$1,036/mo | $245,100 | $1,323/mo | 21.9 | 25.8% |
| Pottawattamie County | $1,000–$1,500$1,018/mo | $195,700 | $1,145/mo | 26.5 | 27.6% |
| Story County | $1,000–$1,500$1,018/mo | $258,700 | $1,268/mo | 23.5 | 29.4% |
| Scott County | $1,000–$1,500$1,005/mo | $222,000 | $1,208/mo | 25.4 | 28.7% |
| Black Hawk County | Under $1,000$989/mo | $188,900 | $1,067/mo | 30.6 | 29.5% |
| Woodbury County | Under $1,000$981/mo | $183,200 | $1,029/mo | 32.6 | 26.3% |
| Warren County | Under $1,000$973/mo | $269,600 | $1,435/mo | 23.1 | 27.2% |
| Muscatine County | Under $1,000$971/mo | $182,100 | $1,030/mo | 33.2 | 27.5% |
| Dubuque County | Under $1,000$959/mo | $237,300 | $1,153/mo | 29.5 | 27.9% |
| Mills County | Under $1,000$959/mo | $237,800 | $1,266/mo | 26.9 | 25.2% |
| Linn County | Under $1,000$945/mo | $214,300 | $1,254/mo | 27.9 | 27.8% |
| Clarke County | Under $1,000$931/mo | $161,100 | $1,074/mo | 34.4 | 28.7% |
| Dickinson County | Under $1,000$922/mo | $270,700 | $1,078/mo | 34.9 | 26.2% |
| Bremer County | Under $1,000$921/mo | $219,600 | $1,079/mo | 34.9 | 23.3% |
| Wapello County | Under $1,000$920/mo | $125,100 | $859/mo | 46.1 | 28.8% |
| Plymouth County | Under $1,000$910/mo | $228,900 | $928/mo | 42.5 | 18.4% |
| Sioux County | Under $1,000$908/mo | $250,100 | $1,063/mo | 36.6 | 24.1% |
| Des Moines County | Under $1,000$904/mo | $136,500 | $887/mo | 45.5 | 30.9% |
| Buena Vista County | Under $1,000$894/mo | $159,500 | $908/mo | 45.0 | 21.3% |
| Adams County | Under $1,000$893/mo | $131,600 | $767/mo | 54.9 | 24.2% |
| Marshall County | Under $1,000$885/mo | $145,500 | $963/mo | 42.8 | 23.2% |
| Marion County | Under $1,000$884/mo | $233,000 | $1,070/mo | 38.5 | 25.8% |
| Jefferson County | Under $1,000$883/mo | $163,400 | $916/mo | 45.5 | 30.7% |
| Poweshiek County | Under $1,000$883/mo | $209,300 | $1,115/mo | 37.0 | 25.2% |
| Fayette County | Under $1,000$881/mo | $136,800 | $864/mo | 49.2 | 27.2% |
| Cedar County | Under $1,000$879/mo | $211,300 | $1,146/mo | 36.3 | 29.8% |
| Washington County | Under $1,000$879/mo | $203,900 | $1,109/mo | 37.5 | 24.0% |
| Hamilton County | Under $1,000$877/mo | $156,400 | $922/mo | 45.9 | 20.5% |
| Tama County | Under $1,000$872/mo | $148,600 | $898/mo | 47.6 | 26.5% |
| Davis County | Under $1,000$868/mo | $161,900 | $1,050/mo | 40.8 | 22.7% |
| O'Brien County | Under $1,000$868/mo | $173,100 | $851/mo | 51.4 | 21.4% |
| Winneshiek County | Under $1,000$861/mo | $259,200 | $1,082/mo | 40.2 | 24.7% |
| Kossuth County | Under $1,000$859/mo | $148,300 | $798/mo | 55.8 | 24.7% |
| Monona County | Under $1,000$855/mo | $142,900 | $755/mo | 59.5 | 26.4% |
| Cerro Gordo County | Under $1,000$850/mo | $166,400 | $946/mo | 47.4 | 23.8% |
| Clinton County | Under $1,000$850/mo | $160,600 | $996/mo | 44.8 | 29.1% |
| Harrison County | Under $1,000$849/mo | $176,000 | $979/mo | 45.8 | 22.6% |
| Buchanan County | Under $1,000$848/mo | $176,000 | $938/mo | 48.0 | 24.9% |
| Boone County | Under $1,000$845/mo | $212,400 | $1,208/mo | 38.3 | 25.7% |
| Guthrie County | Under $1,000$845/mo | $180,100 | $970/mo | 46.8 | 24.9% |
| Lyon County | Under $1,000$843/mo | $230,000 | $1,049/mo | 43.7 | 22.9% |
| Jasper County | Under $1,000$836/mo | $186,300 | $1,028/mo | 45.3 | 28.7% |
| Lee County | Under $1,000$835/mo | $141,400 | $852/mo | 55.0 | 29.6% |
| Pocahontas County | Under $1,000$832/mo | $98,100 | $643/mo | 70.3 | 22.0% |
| Keokuk County | Under $1,000$828/mo | $118,700 | $816/mo | 58.1 | 24.7% |
| Benton County | Under $1,000$826/mo | $208,200 | $1,137/mo | 42.4 | 25.5% |
| Henry County | Under $1,000$820/mo | $164,300 | $908/mo | 52.8 | 24.8% |
| Montgomery County | Under $1,000$814/mo | $121,400 | $792/mo | 61.5 | 32.5% |
| Butler County | Under $1,000$812/mo | $165,400 | $897/mo | 54.4 | 24.1% |
| Clay County | Under $1,000$811/mo | $178,600 | $937/mo | 52.2 | 26.3% |
| Jackson County | Under $1,000$807/mo | $175,000 | $907/mo | 54.4 | 27.9% |
| Adair County | Under $1,000$799/mo | $160,400 | $940/mo | 53.3 | 24.1% |
| Monroe County | Under $1,000$798/mo | $156,300 | $951/mo | 53.0 | 31.6% |
| Osceola County | Under $1,000$797/mo | $122,600 | $773/mo | 64.7 | 35.4% |
| Allamakee County | Under $1,000$796/mo | $172,300 | $924/mo | 54.6 | 23.2% |
| Hardin County | Under $1,000$795/mo | $122,500 | $816/mo | 61.8 | 26.4% |
| Mahaska County | Under $1,000$793/mo | $157,800 | $889/mo | 57.2 | 22.9% |
| Clayton County | Under $1,000$790/mo | $168,500 | $824/mo | 61.9 | 27.3% |
| Wright County | Under $1,000$790/mo | $119,600 | $771/mo | 65.8 | 22.9% |
| Webster County | Under $1,000$785/mo | $153,800 | $849/mo | 61.0 | 26.5% |
| Appanoose County | Under $1,000$784/mo | $124,200 | $857/mo | 60.5 | 28.8% |
| Jones County | Under $1,000$784/mo | $184,800 | $1,014/mo | 51.8 | 25.7% |
| Shelby County | Under $1,000$783/mo | $164,000 | $927/mo | 56.2 | 30.5% |
| Greene County | Under $1,000$781/mo | $155,400 | $895/mo | 58.3 | 23.4% |
| Cass County | Under $1,000$777/mo | $150,300 | $829/mo | 63.3 | 29.6% |
| Louisa County | Under $1,000$775/mo | $150,100 | $848/mo | 62.4 | 22.3% |
| Grundy County | Under $1,000$774/mo | $198,800 | $1,105/mo | 49.9 | 23.4% |
| Taylor County | Under $1,000$765/mo | $117,200 | $827/mo | 64.8 | 20.3% |
| Delaware County | Under $1,000$764/mo | $177,900 | $998/mo | 54.9 | 27.7% |
| Audubon County | Under $1,000$759/mo | $121,900 | $736/mo | 72.3 | 32.1% |
| Cherokee County | Under $1,000$758/mo | $158,700 | $785/mo | 68.8 | 29.6% |
| Worth County | Under $1,000$758/mo | $145,800 | $828/mo | 65.5 | 19.2% |
| Fremont County | Under $1,000$746/mo | $154,400 | $898/mo | 61.9 | 23.2% |
| Floyd County | Under $1,000$745/mo | $143,500 | $844/mo | 65.8 | 28.2% |
| Humboldt County | Under $1,000$744/mo | $155,800 | $796/mo | 69.2 | 21.8% |
| Crawford County | Under $1,000$743/mo | $153,700 | $885/mo | 63.1 | 21.8% |
| Chickasaw County | Under $1,000$738/mo | $182,600 | $819/mo | 68.0 | 20.7% |
| Mitchell County | Under $1,000$738/mo | $175,100 | $851/mo | 66.0 | 23.6% |
| Hancock County | Under $1,000$736/mo | $141,400 | $864/mo | 65.3 | 23.6% |
| Emmet County | Under $1,000$733/mo | $114,100 | $812/mo | 69.0 | 24.8% |
| Carroll County | Under $1,000$731/mo | $176,000 | $851/mo | 66.7 | 22.3% |
| Calhoun County | Under $1,000$723/mo | $118,800 | $690/mo | 78.9 | 20.4% |
| Sac County | Under $1,000$722/mo | $141,400 | $706/mo | 77.8 | 17.5% |
| Union County | Under $1,000$721/mo | $122,000 | $875/mo | 65.9 | 25.5% |
| Winnebago County | Under $1,000$717/mo | $135,000 | $795/mo | 71.7 | 24.0% |
| Howard County | Under $1,000$713/mo | $147,800 | $779/mo | 73.3 | 19.9% |
| Ringgold County | Under $1,000$710/mo | $156,200 | $1,112/mo | 55.6 | 27.7% |
| Lucas County | Under $1,000$709/mo | $120,200 | $888/mo | 65.9 | 25.3% |
| Page County | Under $1,000$705/mo | $125,300 | $782/mo | 73.6 | 26.7% |
| Franklin County | Under $1,000$696/mo | $124,100 | $695/mo | 80.5 | 19.4% |
| Ida County | Under $1,000$696/mo | $108,900 | $678/mo | 81.8 | 19.1% |
| Iowa County | Under $1,000$686/mo | $193,900 | $1,078/mo | 58.5 | 22.1% |
| Wayne County | Under $1,000$659/mo | $111,300 | $773/mo | 77.1 | 22.1% |
| Palo Alto County | Under $1,000$638/mo | $123,200 | $751/mo | 79.9 | 24.1% |
| Van Buren County | Under $1,000$622/mo | $114,600 | $669/mo | 86.3 | 29.3% |
| Decatur County | Under $1,000$611/mo | $113,900 | $815/mo | 76.0 | 19.7% |
Compare Iowa to Other States
See how Iowa counties stack up against counties in other states. Compare rent, home values, and affordability side by side.
Start a ComparisonFrequently Asked Questions About Iowa Housing Costs
Which Iowa county has the lowest median rent?
Which Iowa county has the highest median rent?
How does Iowa's cost of living compare to the national average?
What is the unweighted county-mean home value in Iowa?
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Compare Moving QuotesData: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2020-2024). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.