Muscatine County, Iowa Housing Market Prices
Muscatine 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 45% below the Iowa median$84,420
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Median rent About the same as the Iowa median More expensive than 90% of counties in Iowa$971
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Muscatine County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $84,420 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 128.3% | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $971 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.4% | 3.9% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Muscatine County is about 45% lower than in Iowa. Rent follows a similar pattern, running close to 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 Muscatine County, up about 128.3% and 3.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Muscatine County rose about 32.7% between 2015 and 2024, from $732 to $971. Over the same span, rent in Iowa rose about 39.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.2 yearly household incomes in Muscatine County.
Buying the median-priced home in Muscatine County costs roughly 7.2 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 Muscatine County. The price-to-rent ratio in Iowa is about 13.2.
| Metric | Muscatine County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $84,420 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $69,993 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.2 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Muscatine County fell about 5.0%, while median household income rose about 37.0% 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 | Muscatine County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 69.5% | 65.6% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 24.5% | 25.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 6.0% | 8.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2011 | 2011 |
Muscatine County has a homeownership rate of 69.5%, higher than the Iowa average of 65.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 6.0%, compared with 8.5% in Iowa.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Muscatine County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.41 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1972 | 1971 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Muscatine County was built around 1972. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
Muscatine County, IA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Muscatine County, IA is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 42,559 residents against a local median of 156,634. Muscatine County, IA's median home price, at $84,420, runs 50% below the $168,067 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves sit within $53,769 of each other on median home price, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Muscatine County, IA, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Muscatine County, IA has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscatine County, IA | 42,559 | $84,420 #4/4 | $971 #3/4 | 73.9% #2/4 |
| Cedar County, IA | 18,349 | $141,406 | $878 | 81.5% |
| Johnson County, IA | 156,634 | $195,175 | $1,122 | 59.4% |
| Scott County, IA | 174,608 | $168,067 | $1,005 | 70.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Muscatine County, Iowa.
What is the median home price in Muscatine County, Iowa?
The median home price in Muscatine County, Iowa is $84,420, lower than the Iowa average of $153,425.
What is the average home price in Muscatine County, Iowa?
The typical home price in Muscatine County, Iowa, reported as the median sale price, is $84,420. 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 Muscatine County, Iowa?
The median gross rent in Muscatine County, Iowa is $971 per month, about the same as the Iowa average.
What was the median gross rent in Muscatine County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Muscatine County, Iowa was $829 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Muscatine County, Iowa?
The price-to-rent ratio in Muscatine County, Iowa is about 7.2, meaning it would take roughly 7.2 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 Muscatine County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Muscatine County, Iowa?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Muscatine County, up about 128.3% and 3.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Muscatine County, Iowa?
69.5% of households in Muscatine County, Iowa own their home, higher than the Iowa average of 65.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Muscatine County, Iowa?
The housing vacancy rate in Muscatine County, Iowa is 6.0%, lower than the Iowa average of 8.5%.
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