Polk County, Iowa Housing Market Prices
Polk 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 27% above the Iowa median More expensive than 73% of counties in Iowa$195,018
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Median rent 18% above the Iowa median Among the 3 most expensive counties in Iowa$1,148
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Polk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $195,018 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 6.3% | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,148 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.2% | 3.9% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Polk County is about 27% higher than in Iowa. Rent is about 18% higher 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 Polk County, up about 6.3% and 4.2% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Polk County rose about 43.9% between 2015 and 2024, from $798 to $1,148. Over the same span, rent in Iowa rose about 39.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.3 yearly household incomes in Polk County.
Buying the median-priced home in Polk County costs roughly 14.2 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 Polk County. The price-to-rent ratio in Iowa is about 13.2.
| Metric | Polk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $195,018 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $83,877 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.3 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Polk County rose about 80.1%, while median household income rose about 43.9% 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 | Polk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 63.3% | 65.6% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 30.7% | 25.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 6.0% | 8.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2011 | 2011 |
Polk County has a homeownership rate of 63.3%, lower than the Iowa average of 65.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 6.0%, compared with 8.5% in Iowa.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Polk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.41 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1981 | 1971 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.6 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Polk County was built around 1981. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.6 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Polk County, IA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, IA is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 502,972 residents against a local median of 100,466. Polk County, IA's median home price, at $195,018, runs 30% below the $279,595 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves sit within $49,063 of each other on median home price, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Polk County, IA, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Polk County, IA has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, IA | 502,972 | $195,018 #4/4 | $1,148 #2/4 | 67.4% #3/4 |
| Warren County, IA | 54,398 | $310,000 | $972 | 82.3% |
| Story County, IA | 100,466 | $260,937 | $1,018 | 55.5% |
| Dallas County, IA | 107,966 | $279,595 | $1,311 | 69.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Polk County, Iowa.
What is the median home price in Polk County, Iowa?
The median home price in Polk County, Iowa is $195,018, higher than the Iowa average of $153,425.
What is the average home price in Polk County, Iowa?
The typical home price in Polk County, Iowa, reported as the median sale price, is $195,018. 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 Polk County, Iowa?
The median gross rent in Polk County, Iowa is $1,148 per month, higher than the Iowa average of $971.
What was the median gross rent in Polk County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Polk County, Iowa was $938 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Polk County, Iowa?
The price-to-rent ratio in Polk County, Iowa is about 14.2, meaning it would take roughly 14.2 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 Polk County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Polk County, Iowa?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Polk County, up about 6.3% and 4.2% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Polk County, Iowa?
63.3% of households in Polk County, Iowa own their home, lower than the Iowa average of 65.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Polk County, Iowa?
The housing vacancy rate in Polk County, Iowa is 6.0%, lower than the Iowa average of 8.5%.
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