Cherokee County, Iowa Housing Market Prices
Cherokee 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 70% below the Iowa median Cheaper than 82% of counties in Iowa$45,493
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Median rent 22% below the Iowa median Cheaper than 74% of counties in Iowa$758
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Cherokee County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $45,493 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -4.3% | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $758 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.1% | 3.9% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Cherokee County is about 70% lower than in Iowa. Rent is about 22% lower 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 Cherokee County: home prices fell about 4.3% a year while rent rose about 4.1% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Cherokee County rose about 46.9% between 2015 and 2024, from $516 to $758. Over the same span, rent in Iowa rose about 39.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 0.6 yearly household incomes in Cherokee County.
Buying the median-priced home in Cherokee County costs roughly 5.0 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 Cherokee County. The price-to-rent ratio in Iowa is about 13.2.
| Metric | Cherokee County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $45,493 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $71,162 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 0.6 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Cherokee County fell about 47.3%, while median household income rose about 50.5% 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 | Cherokee County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 68.6% | 65.6% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 22.2% | 25.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 9.2% | 8.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2011 | 2011 |
Cherokee County has a homeownership rate of 68.6%, higher than the Iowa average of 65.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 9.2%, compared with 8.5% in Iowa.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Cherokee County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.22 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1956 | 1971 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.5 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Cherokee County was built around 1956. On average, 2.2 people live in a home with about 6.5 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Cherokee County, IA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Cherokee County, IA is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 11,600 residents against a local median of 18,607. Where Cherokee County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 73% below the local median of $167,984 at $45,493.
The counties themselves spread $233,059 on median home price, so Cherokee County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cherokee County, IA has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, IA | 11,600 | $45,493 #5/5 | $758 #5/5 | 75.5% #2/5 |
| O'Brien County, IA | 14,126 | $86,694 | $868 | 76.1% |
| Buena Vista County, IA | 20,753 | $319,753 | $893 | 73.2% |
| Woodbury County, IA | 106,250 | $94,303 | $980 | 68.2% |
| Clay County, IA | 16,461 | $241,666 | $811 | 73.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Cherokee County, Iowa.
What is the median home price in Cherokee County, Iowa?
The median home price in Cherokee County, Iowa is $45,493, lower than the Iowa average of $153,425.
What is the average home price in Cherokee County, Iowa?
The typical home price in Cherokee County, Iowa, reported as the median sale price, is $45,493. 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 Cherokee County, Iowa?
The median gross rent in Cherokee County, Iowa is $758 per month, lower than the Iowa average of $971.
What was the median gross rent in Cherokee County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Cherokee County, Iowa was $536 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Cherokee County, Iowa?
The price-to-rent ratio in Cherokee County, Iowa is about 5.0, meaning it would take roughly 5.0 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 Cherokee County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Cherokee County, Iowa?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Cherokee County: home prices fell about 4.3% a year while rent rose about 4.1% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Cherokee County, Iowa?
68.6% of households in Cherokee County, Iowa own their home, higher than the Iowa average of 65.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Cherokee County, Iowa?
The housing vacancy rate in Cherokee County, Iowa is 9.2%, higher than the Iowa average of 8.5%.
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