Iowa Cost of Living
Housing costs and affordability data for 99 counties.
Average Monthly Rent
$812/mo
Average Home Value
$160,608
Average Owner Cost
$929/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
$812/mo
Owner cost
$929/mo
Avg score
52.1
Higher means lower cost pressure
Atlas layers use U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019-2023 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 median rent in Iowa is $812 per month, which is 30% below the national median of $1,163. That is useful statewide context, but rent burden still depends on local income, household size, commute, and the county a household chooses.
Within Iowa, housing costs vary significantly by county. Dallas County has the highest median rent in this dataset at $1,239 per month and a median home value of $333,400. Palo Alto County has the lowest reported median rent at $599 per month and a median home value of $119,300.
The average home value across Iowa counties is $160,608, 43% lower than the national median of $281,900. Median household income is roughly $69,830, so home values should be read alongside local wages, financing costs, taxes, insurance, and supply.
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 | Moderate$1,239/mo | $333,400 | $1,672/mo | 9.7 | 24.0% |
| Polk County | Moderate$1,113/mo | $248,400 | $1,409/mo | 15.4 | 27.0% |
| Johnson County | Moderate$1,104/mo | $293,100 | $1,483/mo | 14.8 | 33.0% |
| Story County | Moderate$1,019/mo | $243,600 | $1,245/mo | 21.3 | 30.0% |
| Warren County | Affordable$975/mo | $252,800 | $1,386/mo | 21.3 | 26.0% |
| Pottawattamie County | Affordable$970/mo | $183,600 | $1,130/mo | 26.8 | 27.0% |
| Muscatine County | Affordable$966/mo | $172,400 | $1,030/mo | 30.6 | 26.0% |
| Black Hawk County | Affordable$962/mo | $182,400 | $1,043/mo | 30.4 | 29.0% |
| Scott County | Affordable$958/mo | $212,500 | $1,195/mo | 26.1 | 28.0% |
| Wapello County | Affordable$950/mo | $112,900 | $831/mo | 42.7 | 28.0% |
| Woodbury County | Affordable$946/mo | $172,000 | $1,026/mo | 31.9 | 25.0% |
| Dubuque County | Affordable$944/mo | $226,100 | $1,141/mo | 28.2 | 27.0% |
| Madison County | Affordable$938/mo | $236,900 | $1,378/mo | 23.9 | 25.0% |
| Dickinson County | Affordable$930/mo | $251,600 | $1,026/mo | 33.0 | 25.0% |
| Linn County | Affordable$915/mo | $204,400 | $1,232/mo | 28.0 | 27.0% |
| Adams County | Affordable$909/mo | $116,900 | $752/mo | 50.8 | 21.0% |
| Des Moines County | Affordable$908/mo | $137,000 | $930/mo | 39.1 | 33.0% |
| Mills County | Affordable$888/mo | $228,700 | $1,241/mo | 30.0 | 24.0% |
| Sioux County | Affordable$888/mo | $235,600 | $1,090/mo | 34.0 | 25.0% |
| Jefferson County | Affordable$881/mo | $161,200 | $915/mo | 41.8 | 34.0% |
| Marion County | Affordable$880/mo | $211,100 | $1,074/mo | 35.5 | 24.0% |
| Davis County | Affordable$878/mo | $146,000 | $1,010/mo | 37.8 | 23.0% |
| Plymouth County | Affordable$865/mo | $218,600 | $942/mo | 42.3 | 17.0% |
| Tama County | Affordable$865/mo | $139,900 | $891/mo | 44.8 | 26.0% |
| Poweshiek County | Affordable$864/mo | $184,200 | $1,060/mo | 37.5 | 25.0% |
| Washington County | Affordable$862/mo | $199,600 | $1,063/mo | 37.5 | 24.0% |
| Cedar County | Affordable$860/mo | $199,700 | $1,099/mo | 36.4 | 27.0% |
| Marshall County | Affordable$860/mo | $134,100 | $934/mo | 43.0 | 23.0% |
| Kossuth County | Affordable$859/mo | $135,100 | $749/mo | 55.6 | 26.0% |
| Harrison County | Affordable$854/mo | $165,300 | $974/mo | 41.8 | 24.0% |
| Hamilton County | Affordable$853/mo | $132,300 | $846/mo | 49.5 | 22.0% |
| Bremer County | Affordable$844/mo | $207,200 | $1,037/mo | 40.5 | 23.0% |
| Cerro Gordo County | Affordable$840/mo | $154,100 | $886/mo | 47.8 | 23.0% |
| Clarke County | Affordable$836/mo | $160,200 | $1,084/mo | 39.6 | 27.0% |
| Buena Vista County | Affordable$835/mo | $146,900 | $879/mo | 48.9 | 21.0% |
| Boone County | Affordable$826/mo | $191,200 | $1,128/mo | 39.0 | 23.0% |
| Clinton County | Affordable$825/mo | $153,800 | $1,005/mo | 43.5 | 28.0% |
| Guthrie County | Affordable$823/mo | $163,900 | $958/mo | 45.9 | 26.0% |
| Jasper County | Affordable$822/mo | $176,800 | $1,012/mo | 43.7 | 28.0% |
| Keokuk County | Affordable$822/mo | $112,200 | $834/mo | 53.8 | 26.0% |
| Mahaska County | Affordable$821/mo | $140,900 | $865/mo | 51.5 | 21.0% |
| Benton County | Affordable$815/mo | $198,400 | $1,131/mo | 40.1 | 25.0% |
| Hardin County | Affordable$814/mo | $113,000 | $787/mo | 57.5 | 27.0% |
| Lee County | Affordable$814/mo | $123,600 | $846/mo | 53.5 | 28.0% |
| Fayette County | Affordable$813/mo | $130,800 | $870/mo | 51.9 | 28.0% |
| Shelby County | Affordable$810/mo | $156,200 | $925/mo | 48.9 | 28.0% |
| Buchanan County | Affordable$802/mo | $171,400 | $905/mo | 51.2 | 25.0% |
| Lyon County | Affordable$802/mo | $215,600 | $962/mo | 48.3 | 23.0% |
| Jackson County | Affordable$800/mo | $170,000 | $867/mo | 54.0 | 26.0% |
| Winneshiek County | Affordable$800/mo | $239,000 | $1,068/mo | 44.5 | 25.0% |
| Clay County | Affordable$798/mo | $171,500 | $913/mo | 51.3 | 25.0% |
| Louisa County | Affordable$797/mo | $137,600 | $872/mo | 54.0 | 19.0% |
| Osceola County | Affordable$796/mo | $123,800 | $749/mo | 63.0 | 29.0% |
| Monona County | Affordable$795/mo | $122,600 | $726/mo | 65.0 | 27.0% |
| Wright County | Affordable$788/mo | $109,800 | $716/mo | 66.3 | 25.0% |
| Monroe County | Affordable$787/mo | $135,900 | $900/mo | 53.5 | 32.0% |
| Hancock County | Affordable$784/mo | $129,300 | $814/mo | 60.0 | 25.0% |
| Montgomery County | Affordable$782/mo | $109,900 | $737/mo | 65.7 | 24.0% |
| Butler County | Affordable$780/mo | $156,500 | $902/mo | 54.3 | 23.0% |
| Appanoose County | Affordable$779/mo | $119,800 | $800/mo | 61.5 | 27.0% |
| Chickasaw County | Affordable$779/mo | $164,400 | $820/mo | 60.2 | 19.0% |
| Grundy County | Affordable$777/mo | $180,500 | $1,004/mo | 49.6 | 23.0% |
| Greene County | Affordable$774/mo | $140,500 | $844/mo | 59.1 | 25.0% |
| Henry County | Affordable$770/mo | $148,600 | $897/mo | 56.0 | 27.0% |
| O'Brien County | Affordable$770/mo | $158,900 | $834/mo | 60.5 | 21.0% |
| Cass County | Affordable$769/mo | $133,300 | $781/mo | 64.2 | 29.0% |
| Clayton County | Affordable$764/mo | $155,700 | $826/mo | 62.0 | 26.0% |
| Webster County | Affordable$762/mo | $138,500 | $832/mo | 61.8 | 25.0% |
| Jones County | Affordable$759/mo | $183,400 | $983/mo | 53.0 | 24.0% |
| Fremont County | Affordable$753/mo | $147,500 | $909/mo | 57.1 | 20.0% |
| Ringgold County | Affordable$745/mo | $150,300 | $1,074/mo | 51.0 | 28.0% |
| Delaware County | Affordable$743/mo | $168,700 | $966/mo | 55.4 | 27.0% |
| Pocahontas County | Affordable$743/mo | $93,300 | $644/mo | 77.3 | 19.0% |
| Mitchell County | Affordable$739/mo | $164,100 | $858/mo | 62.1 | 23.0% |
| Lucas County | Affordable$738/mo | $117,000 | $857/mo | 62.3 | 26.0% |
| Emmet County | Affordable$731/mo | $106,200 | $709/mo | 73.6 | 21.0% |
| Humboldt County | Affordable$731/mo | $146,900 | $789/mo | 67.9 | 20.0% |
| Page County | Affordable$731/mo | $120,000 | $755/mo | 70.2 | 27.0% |
| Adair County | Affordable$730/mo | $140,600 | $921/mo | 59.1 | 24.0% |
| Crawford County | Affordable$727/mo | $136,300 | $865/mo | 63.1 | 23.0% |
| Carroll County | Affordable$722/mo | $175,700 | $846/mo | 65.2 | 26.0% |
| Iowa County | Affordable$722/mo | $189,800 | $1,121/mo | 52.2 | 23.0% |
| Allamakee County | Affordable$717/mo | $171,900 | $849/mo | 65.4 | 19.0% |
| Winnebago County | Affordable$712/mo | $132,300 | $776/mo | 71.0 | 25.0% |
| Cherokee County | Affordable$711/mo | $145,100 | $747/mo | 73.4 | 28.0% |
| Audubon County | Affordable$707/mo | $110,400 | $683/mo | 78.5 | 29.0% |
| Taylor County | Affordable$707/mo | $109,700 | $776/mo | 71.3 | 19.0% |
| Worth County | Affordable$703/mo | $142,300 | $821/mo | 68.8 | 18.0% |
| Howard County | Affordable$699/mo | $133,900 | $769/mo | 72.4 | 19.0% |
| Calhoun County | Affordable$690/mo | $114,400 | $669/mo | 80.9 | 22.0% |
| Van Buren County | Affordable$686/mo | $118,800 | $689/mo | 79.8 | 28.0% |
| Union County | Affordable$683/mo | $117,800 | $822/mo | 70.5 | 25.0% |
| Floyd County | Affordable$672/mo | $133,300 | $845/mo | 69.2 | 25.0% |
| Ida County | Affordable$669/mo | $108,800 | $675/mo | 82.0 | 22.0% |
| Decatur County | Affordable$663/mo | $109,500 | $849/mo | 69.5 | 19.0% |
| Wayne County | Affordable$660/mo | $102,300 | $737/mo | 77.9 | 23.0% |
| Franklin County | Affordable$649/mo | $118,500 | $664/mo | 83.8 | 19.0% |
| Sac County | Affordable$643/mo | $138,400 | $692/mo | 81.8 | 17.0% |
| Palo Alto County | Affordable$599/mo | $119,300 | $750/mo | 79.3 | 22.0% |
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
What is the most affordable county in Iowa?
What is the most expensive county to live in Iowa?
How does Iowa's cost of living compare to the national average?
What is the average home value in Iowa?
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Compare Moving QuotesData: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.