Cedar County, Iowa Housing Market Prices
Cedar 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 8% below the Iowa median$141,406
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Median rent 10% below the Iowa median More expensive than 70% of counties in Iowa$878
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Cedar County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $141,406 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 24.2% | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $878 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.6% | 3.9% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Cedar County is about 8% lower than in Iowa. Rent is about 10% lower than the Iowa average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Cedar County, up about 24.2% and 3.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Cedar County rose about 31.2% between 2015 and 2024, from $669 to $878. Over the same span, rent in Iowa rose about 39.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.7 yearly household incomes in Cedar County.
Buying the median-priced home in Cedar County costs roughly 13.4 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 Cedar County. The price-to-rent ratio in Iowa is about 13.2.
| Metric | Cedar County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $141,406 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $80,972 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Cedar County rose about 275.9%, while median household income rose about 46.0% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Cedar County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 74.8% | 65.6% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 17.0% | 25.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 8.2% | 8.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2011 | 2011 |
Cedar County has a homeownership rate of 74.8%, higher than the Iowa average of 65.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 8.2%, compared with 8.5% in Iowa.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Cedar County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.37 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1968 | 1971 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.6 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Cedar County was built around 1968. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 6.6 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
Cedar County, IA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Cedar County, IA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 18,349 residents against a local median of 174,608. The measure that sets Cedar County, IA apart most is median home price: $141,406, 28% below the local median of $195,175.
Homeownership tells the same story from another angle: 81.5% against a local median of 70.0%, 16% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is homeownership, and at 16% above the local median it puts Cedar County, IA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $64,602 on median home price, so Cedar County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cedar County, IA has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar County, IA | 18,349 | $141,406 #4/4 | $878 #4/4 | 81.5% #1/4 |
| Johnson County, IA | 156,634 | $195,175 | $1,122 | 59.4% |
| Scott County, IA | 174,608 | $168,067 | $1,005 | 70.0% |
| Linn County, IA | 230,016 | $232,669 | $944 | 73.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Cedar County, Iowa.
What is the median home price in Cedar County, Iowa?
The median home price in Cedar County, Iowa is $141,406, lower than the Iowa average of $153,425.
What is the average home price in Cedar County, Iowa?
The typical home price in Cedar County, Iowa, reported as the median sale price, is $141,406. 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 Cedar County, Iowa?
The median gross rent in Cedar County, Iowa is $878 per month, lower than the Iowa average of $971.
What was the median gross rent in Cedar County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Cedar County, Iowa was $699 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Cedar County, Iowa?
The price-to-rent ratio in Cedar County, Iowa is about 13.4, meaning it would take roughly 13.4 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 Cedar County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Cedar County, Iowa?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Cedar County, up about 24.2% and 3.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Cedar County, Iowa?
74.8% of households in Cedar County, Iowa own their home, higher than the Iowa average of 65.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Cedar County, Iowa?
The housing vacancy rate in Cedar County, Iowa is 8.2%, lower than the Iowa average of 8.5%.
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