CostBy County

Cost of Living in Marshall County, Iowa

$885/mo
Median Monthly Rent
$145,500
Median Home Value

At a Glance

Median Monthly Rent
$885/mo
6% above state average
Median Home Value
$145,500
56% below national
Census GRAPI
23.2%
Median gross rent as % of renter income

Rent burden measured as median gross rent as a percentage of renter household income (Census ACS B25071)

Affordability Rating
Affordable
Median gross rent is under 30% of renter household income

These figures are county medians, not a personal budget. Use them to frame rent, ownership, and income tradeoffs, then account for household size, commute, financing, insurance, taxes, debt, and local availability before making a decision.

How Marshall County Compares

Median monthly rent comparison

Marshall County$885/mo
Iowa Average$832/mo
National Median$1,413/mo

Detailed Housing Stats

$885/mo
Median Gross Rent
$145,500
Median Home Value
$963/mo
Monthly Owner Cost
23.2%
Census GRAPI

National Ranking

Affordability Rank

Marshall County ranks #1,878 of 3,142 counties for affordability (bottom 40%)

Most AffordableLeast Affordable

Sourced county brief

Marshall County Renter Median Income Estimated at $55,159

Marshall County’s renter-household median income was estimated at $55,159 for the 2020-2024 period. The median gross rent in the county was $885 per month, which is $53 higher than the state unweighted county mean of $832. For owners, the median selected monthly owner cost was $963, differing from the state unweighted county mean of $950 by $13. The median home value in Marshall County was $145,500, which is $25,537 below the state unweighted county mean of $171,037. The official rentBurdenGrapiPct, which is the median gross rent as a percentage of household income among renter-occupied housing units, was 23.2%. This is 2.2 percentage points below the state unweighted county mean of 25.4%. The canonical rentToIncomePct of 23.2% is the official ACS B25071 GRAPI estimate. See ACS table B25071 for the underlying estimate.

Cost of Living Advisory: Marshall County

Affordability Verdict

ACS B25071 estimates median gross rent at 23.2% of renter household income in Marshall County, which is below the 30% affordability benchmark. This is a median percentage among renter-occupied units, not the share of households above a threshold.

Rent vs. Own

Median gross rent is $885 per month; median selected monthly owner costs are $963. These ACS medians describe different tenure groups and are not a personalized rent-versus-buy calculation.

Income Needed

Using the common 30% budgeting benchmark, $35,400 in annual gross income would allocate 30% to the county's median gross rent. This is a reproducible illustration, not evidence that a particular household can afford housing.

Regional Context

The Iowa unweighted mean of county median rents is $832 per month. Marshall County's $885 median is 6.3% above that comparison value.

Data version acs5-2020-2024 · Method cost-advisory-v2

Affordability Calculator

See how your income compares to housing costs in Marshall County

$

Rent Burden

14.5%

of gross income

Max Housing (28% Rule)

$1,711

per month

Owner Cost Burden

15.8%

of gross income

You can likely afford the median home in Marshall County

Median home value is $145,500. Estimated monthly cost: $1,162 vs. your max of $1,711.

Rent Affordability Guide

Your entered rent as a share of entered income14.5%
Recommended max30.0%

Income Needed Calculator

See how much you need to earn to comfortably afford housing

$
Rent Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $73,315Needed: $35,400
Owner Cost Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $73,315Needed: $41,271
Mortgage Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $73,315Needed: $33,862

Based on the 30% rule for rent and 28% rule for housing costs (mortgage + owner costs). Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 7.2% interest, 30-year fixed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Marshall County, Iowa?
Marshall County, Iowa has a median monthly rent of $885/mo and a median home value of $145,500. The affordability rating is Affordable, with median gross rent equal to approximately 23.2% of renter household income.
What is the median rent in Marshall County?
The median gross rent in Marshall County is $885/mo. This is 6% above state average for Iowa.
Is Marshall County affordable?
Marshall County is rated Affordable using the Census median gross-rent-as-a-percentage-of-income measure of 23.2%. Median gross rent is under 30% of renter household income.
How does Marshall County's rent compare to the state average?
Marshall County's median rent of $885/mo is 6% above state average of $832/mo for Iowa.
What is the median home value in Marshall County?
The median home value in Marshall County, Iowa is $145,500. This is 56% below the national median home value of $332,700.

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Published by the CostByCounty Editorial Team. See our methodology and corrections policy.Data build reviewed 2026-07-09; first published 2026-03-10.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2020-2024). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.

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