Iowa housing market: home prices by city and forecast
According to the Zillow Home Value Index, Iowa home prices put the typical home at $236,623 in September 2026, a +3.3% change from a year earlier.
- Value of a typical home
- $236,623September 2026, Zillow ZHVI
- Change over 12 months
- +3.3%US +1.2%
- Change over 10 years
- +66.0%US +77.4%
- Multiple measured since 2000
- ×2.58US ×2.99
- Home price relative to income
- 3.1. The median income figure is $75,501.
Among the 50 states and DC, with the highest values first: typical home value 45th, 12-month change 13th, growth since 2000 36th of 47, price to income 50th.
Iowa home prices since 2000
Prices for the typical Iowa home rose from $91,602 in January 2000 to $236,623; September 2026 marked the peak, also $236,623.
| Decade | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | $93,356 | $97,731 | $101,894 | $106,147 | $110,561 | $115,688 | $120,238 | $122,938 | $123,446 | $122,046 |
| 2010s | $121,584 | $118,851 | $120,722 | $126,001 | $130,620 | $135,825 | $142,355 | $146,914 | $153,000 | $160,638 |
| 2020s | $168,352 | $184,076 | $203,622 | $211,391 | $219,535 | $227,827 |
Iowa home prices since 1975: the FHFA index
FHFA's repeat-sales index placed Iowa at 714 in 2025, with a 1975 baseline of 100. The index was up +3.2% from a year earlier in Q2 2026.
Owners reported the following values in the Census of Housing: $2,253 for Iowa in 1940 and $82,500 in 2000.
| Census year | Iowa median value | US median value |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $2,253 | $2,938 |
| 1950 | $6,320 | $7,354 |
| 1960 | $9,900 | $11,900 |
| 1970 | $13,900 | $17,000 |
| 1980 | $40,600 | $47,200 |
| 1990 | $45,900 | $79,100 |
| 2000 | $82,500 | $119,600 |
These figures have no inflation adjustment. Census of Housing tables
Home prices in Iowa by city
Pages are available for 5 cities, listed from largest to smallest:
| City | Value of a typical home | Change over 12 months | Multiple measured since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | $208,053 | −0.3% | ×2.73 |
| Cedar Rapids | $215,727 | +2.2% | ×2.11 |
| Davenport | $194,286 | +3.8% | |
| Sioux City | $200,738 | +2.6% | ×3.43 |
| Iowa City | $300,467 | +3.0% | |
| Council Bluffs | $227,901 | +2.6% | |
| Waterloo | $146,001 | −0.1% | |
| Dubuque | $247,824 | +4.0% | |
| Ames | $301,900 | +2.6% | |
| West Des Moines | $320,565 | +0.4% | |
| Ankeny | $338,618 | +0.6% | |
| Marion | $279,729 | +4.2% | |
| Urbandale | $350,388 | +0.2% | |
| Bettendorf | $337,961 | +6.3% | |
| Cedar Falls | $265,713 | +1.6% |
Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026.
Metro forecasts for Iowa prices
Zillow's 12-month forecasts, dated September 2026 for 5 Iowa metros, range from +1.6% to +4.8%:
| Metro | Next 3 months | Next 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA | +0.5% | +1.6% |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | +2.1% | +4.8% |
| Davenport, IA | +0.9% | +3.2% |
| Sioux City, IA | +1.2% | +2.9% |
| Iowa City, IA | +0.8% | +3.3% |
Zillow's estimate, and not advice about investing.
Iowa's cost of living
Iowa has a price level of 87.8 (US 100), including housing at 65.3, goods at 93.7, utilities at 83.3, and other services at 92.9 (BEA). Census ACS 2024 reports a median household income of $75,501 and median gross rent of $981 a month. It also reports that 71% of homes are owner-occupied, with a median year built of 1973.
For all states, see state cost of living. For city pages, see Des Moines.
How to read this chart
The first chart shows dollars and reaches its high of $236,623 in September 2026. The second uses an index. On the chart, Iowa's line ends at 714, so home prices there reached 7.1 times the 1975 level. Inflation is not factored into either chart.