Black Hawk County, Iowa Housing Market Prices
Black Hawk County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 43% below the Iowa median$87,001
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Median rent 2% above the Iowa median More expensive than 93% of counties in Iowa$989
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $87,001 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -0.8% | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $989 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.1% | 3.9% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Black Hawk County is about 43% lower than in Iowa. Rent is about 2% higher than the Iowa average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Black Hawk County: home prices fell about 0.8% a year while rent rose about 4.1% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Black Hawk County rose about 41.5% between 2015 and 2024, from $699 to $989. Over the same span, rent in Iowa rose about 39.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.3 yearly household incomes in Black Hawk County.
Buying the median-priced home in Black Hawk County costs roughly 7.3 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Black Hawk County. The price-to-rent ratio in Iowa is about 13.2.
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $87,001 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $66,338 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Black Hawk County fell about 1.5%, while median household income rose about 46.6% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 61.3% | 65.6% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 31.2% | 25.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 7.5% | 8.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2012 | 2011 | 2011 |
Black Hawk County has a homeownership rate of 61.3%, lower than the Iowa average of 65.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 7.5%, compared with 8.5% in Iowa.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.31 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1968 | 1971 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.6 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Black Hawk County was built around 1968. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.6 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.
Black Hawk County, IA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Black Hawk County, IA is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 130,985 residents against a local median of 20,694. Black Hawk County, IA's homeownership, at 66.2%, runs 19% below the 82.1% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $989 against a local median of $848, 17% above it. The counties themselves sit within 9.0% of each other on homeownership, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Black Hawk County, IA, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Black Hawk County, IA has the 4th highest homeownership of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | $87,001 #2/4 | $989 #1/4 | 66.2% #4/4 |
| Tama County, IA | 16,868 | $85,999 | $871 | 76.0% |
| Benton County, IA | 25,722 | $45,471 | $826 | 85.0% |
| Buchanan County, IA | 20,694 | $298,275 | $848 | 82.1% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Black Hawk County, Iowa.
What is the median home price in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
The median home price in Black Hawk County, Iowa is $87,001, lower than the Iowa average of $153,425.
What is the average home price in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
The typical home price in Black Hawk County, Iowa, reported as the median sale price, is $87,001. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
The median gross rent in Black Hawk County, Iowa is $989 per month, higher than the Iowa average of $971.
What was the median gross rent in Black Hawk County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Black Hawk County, Iowa was $818 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
The price-to-rent ratio in Black Hawk County, Iowa is about 7.3, meaning it would take roughly 7.3 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Black Hawk County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Black Hawk County: home prices fell about 0.8% a year while rent rose about 4.1% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
61.3% of households in Black Hawk County, Iowa own their home, lower than the Iowa average of 65.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
The housing vacancy rate in Black Hawk County, Iowa is 7.5%, lower than the Iowa average of 8.5%.
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