Story County, Iowa Housing Market Prices
Story 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% above the Iowa median More expensive than 89% of counties in Iowa$260,937
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Median rent 5% above the Iowa median More expensive than 95% of counties in Iowa$1,018
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Story County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $260,937 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 10.2% | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,018 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 2.9% | 3.9% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Story County is about 70% higher than in Iowa. Rent is about 5% 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 Story County, up about 10.2% and 2.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Story County rose about 32.0% between 2015 and 2024, from $771 to $1,018. Over the same span, rent in Iowa rose about 39.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.7 yearly household incomes in Story County.
Buying the median-priced home in Story County costs roughly 21.4 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Story County. The price-to-rent ratio in Iowa is about 13.2.
| Metric | Story County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $260,937 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $70,594 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.7 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Story County rose about 125.0%, while median household income rose about 49.8% 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 | Story County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 51.6% | 65.6% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 41.3% | 25.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 7.1% | 8.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 12.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2014 | 2011 | 2011 |
Story County has a homeownership rate of 51.6%, lower than the Iowa average of 65.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 7.1%, compared with 8.5% in Iowa.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Story County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.26 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1982 | 1971 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.5 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Story County was built around 1982. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.5 rooms, staying for about 12.0 years on average.
Story County, IA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Story County, IA is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 100,466 residents against a local median of 40,114. Story County, IA's median home price, at $260,937, runs 113% above the $122,261 typical of the counties around it.
Homeownership tells the same story from another angle: 55.5% against a local median of 73.6%, 25% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is homeownership, and at 25% below the local median it puts Story County, IA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $119,601 on median home price, so Story County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Story County, IA has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Story County, IA | 100,466 | $260,937 #1/4 | $1,018 #2/4 | 55.5% #4/4 |
| Polk County, IA | 502,972 | $195,018 | $1,148 | 67.4% |
| Hardin County, IA | 16,639 | $75,416 | $794 | 73.6% |
| Marshall County, IA | 40,114 | $122,261 | $884 | 75.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Story County, Iowa.
What is the median home price in Story County, Iowa?
The median home price in Story County, Iowa is $260,937, higher than the Iowa average of $153,425.
What is the average home price in Story County, Iowa?
The typical home price in Story County, Iowa, reported as the median sale price, is $260,937. 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 Story County, Iowa?
The median gross rent in Story County, Iowa is $1,018 per month, higher than the Iowa average of $971.
What was the median gross rent in Story County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Story County, Iowa was $920 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Story County, Iowa?
The price-to-rent ratio in Story County, Iowa is about 21.4, meaning it would take roughly 21.4 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Story County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Story County, Iowa?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Story County, up about 10.2% and 2.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Story County, Iowa?
51.6% of households in Story County, Iowa own their home, lower than the Iowa average of 65.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Story County, Iowa?
The housing vacancy rate in Story County, Iowa is 7.1%, lower than the Iowa average of 8.5%.
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