🏠 Buying a house in Iowa | 🏘️ Selling a house in Iowa | 🚚 Moving to Iowa
❓ FAQ | 📊 Methodology
🏡 Home values in Iowa have risen 12.07% over the past year, indicating a seller's market.
📈 Housing inventory (the total number of homes for sale) stands at 7,114. That's about 5.35 months of inventory, indicating a seller's market.
📊 The sale-to-list price ratio (the percentage of listing price sellers are actually getting) is 97.70%, indicating a buyer's market.
How does Iowa compare to the national average?
| Data point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Typical home value | $229,072[1] | #44 of 50 states | 39% lower |
| Median listing price | $279,000[2] | #48 of 50 states | 37.1% lower |
| Median sale price | $254,700[3] | #50 of 50 states | 41.8% lower |
| 30-year mortgage rate | 6.83%[4] | #2 of 50 states | 2.1% lower |
| Median days on market | 59[5] | #23 of 50 states | 0.3% longer |
Looking to buy or sell in Iowa?
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Buying a house in the Iowa real estate market
Iowa has an affordability score of 3.6, meaning it takes 3.6 years of the median household income ($71,433) to afford Iowa's median home sale price ($254,700). Because of this, we rank Iowa as the most affordable state for buyers based strictly on prices compared to income.
| Data Point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Median sale price | $254,700[6] | #50 of 50 states | 41.8% lower |
| 30-year mortgage rate | 6.83%[7] | #2 of 50 states | 2.1% lower |
| Median household income | $71,433[8] | #33 of 50 states | 7.2% lower |
| Affordability ratio | 3.6 | #1 of 50 states | 36.1% lower |
| Buyers agent commission | 2.80%[9] | #21 of 50 states | 1.9% higher |
Who pays for realtor commission in Iowa?
Real estate agents' commissions are technically the responsibility of their respective clients - buyers pay their agents, and sellers pay theirs. Each party signs a contract with their agent promising to pay. However, sellers usually offer to pay for the buyer's agent so they can more easily afford the home.
Who pays closing costs in Iowa?
Sellers are usually responsible for most closing costs, but some closing expenses fall to the buyer. As a buyer, you'll be expected to pay for the mortgage loan origination fee and other lender-related fees, private mortgage insurance, the down payment, an appraisal fee, and a home inspection fee.
Learn more about who pays closing costs in Iowa.
Resources for Iowa home buyers
Preparing to buy in Iowa
Selling a house in the Iowa real estate market
According to our detailed survey of Iowa real estate agents, listing agents (those representing the seller) charge an average commission in Iowa of 2.9%, which is the 18th highest in the United States. Buyers' agents charge an average commission of 2.8%, which is the 21st lowest in the United States.
| Data point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Median listing price | $279,000[10] | #48 of 50 states | 37.1% lower |
| Median sale price | $254,700[11] | #50 of 50 states | 41.8% lower |
| Median days on market | 59[12] | #23 of 50 states | 0.3% longer |
| Buyer's agent commission | 2.80%[13] | #21 of 50 states | 1.9% higher |
| Listing agent commission | 2.90%[14] | #33 of 50 states | 2.1% higher |
Resources for Iowa home sellers
Preparing to sell in Iowa
- Selling a House in Iowa: 8 Simple Steps
- Average Time to Sell a House in Iowa
- When Is the Best Time to Sell a House in Iowa?
- Top Real Estate Agents in Iowa
Iowa home selling costs and requirements
Moving to Iowa
According to our recent moving trends survey[15], 4% of Americans indicated that they would choose to move to Iowa if money were no object. Likewise, 6% of survey respondents indicated that they would move to Des Moines among a choice of America's medium-sized cities.
Here's how Iowa cities rank in a number of our research studies.
| Study | Best Iowa city | Rank |
| Best Pizza Cities[16] | No ranking Iowa cities | No ranking Iowa cities |
| Best Coffee Cities[17] | No ranking Iowa cities | No ranking Iowa cities |
| Best LGBTQ Cities[18] | No ranking Iowa cities | No ranking Iowa cities |
| Best Bike Cities[19] | No ranking Iowa cities | No ranking Iowa cities |
| Best Commuter Cities[20] | No ranking Iowa cities | No ranking Iowa cities |
Where to shop for homes in Iowa
Frequently asked questions
As of October 10, 2025, the median days on market (DOM) in Iowa is 60. On average, it takes about 59 days to sell in Iowa.
Home values have risen in Iowa over the past year. The current median home value is $233,008 and it's projected to decrease by 0.37% in the next year.
As of October 10, 2025, sellers in Iowa are typically getting 98.86% of the list price for their homes.
Methodology
Information on market conditions is based on Zillow data as of August 2025, Realtor.com data as of September 2025, and HouseCanary data as of October 10, 2025, unless specified otherwise.
We gathered our commission rate data from a September 2025 survey of 828 of agents nationwide. The survey asked about standard local rates for both listing and buying agents. To ensure an adequate amount of agent data, these data points are averages based on responses we've received from 169 agents in the Midwest region.