Cedar Falls, Iowa Housing Market Prices
Cedar Falls 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$141,401
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Median rent 26% above the Iowa median$1,228
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $141,401 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -1.5% | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,228 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.7% | 3.9% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Cedar Falls is about 8% lower than in Iowa. Rent is about 26% 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 Cedar Falls: home prices fell about 1.5% a year while rent rose about 5.7% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Cedar Falls rose about 61.3% between 2015 and 2024, from $761 to $1,228. Over the same span, rent in Iowa rose about 39.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.9 yearly household incomes in Cedar Falls.
Buying the median-priced home in Cedar Falls costs roughly 9.6 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 Falls. The price-to-rent ratio in Iowa is about 13.2.
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $141,401 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $72,891 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.9 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Cedar Falls fell about 12.3%, while median household income rose about 47.2% 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 | Cedar Falls | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 57.9% | 65.6% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 36.6% | 25.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 5.5% | 8.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 10.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2016 | 2011 | 2011 |
Cedar Falls has a homeownership rate of 57.9%, lower than the Iowa average of 65.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 5.5%, compared with 8.5% in Iowa.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.31 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1977 | 1971 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Cedar Falls was built around 1977. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.8 rooms, staying for about 10.0 years on average.
Cedar Falls, IA Housing Compared With Nearby Cities
How Cedar Falls, IA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Falls, IA | 33,959 | $141,401 #1/2 | $1,228 #1/2 | 61.2% #2/2 |
| Waterloo, IA | 64,027 | $85,849 | $924 | 61.7% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
What is the median home price in Cedar Falls, Iowa?
The median home price in Cedar Falls, Iowa is $141,401, lower than the Iowa average of $153,425.
What is the average home price in Cedar Falls, Iowa?
The typical home price in Cedar Falls, Iowa, reported as the median sale price, is $141,401. 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 Falls, Iowa?
The median gross rent in Cedar Falls, Iowa is $1,228 per month, higher than the Iowa average of $971.
What was the median gross rent in Cedar Falls in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Cedar Falls, Iowa was $956 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Cedar Falls, Iowa?
The price-to-rent ratio in Cedar Falls, Iowa is about 9.6, meaning it would take roughly 9.6 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 Falls.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Cedar Falls, Iowa?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Cedar Falls: home prices fell about 1.5% a year while rent rose about 5.7% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Cedar Falls, Iowa?
57.9% of households in Cedar Falls, Iowa own their home, lower than the Iowa average of 65.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Cedar Falls, Iowa?
The housing vacancy rate in Cedar Falls, Iowa is 5.5%, lower than the Iowa average of 8.5%.
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