Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Urbandale | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $325,661 | $143,535 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 36.2% | 7.5% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,173 | $948 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.7% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Urbandale is about 127% higher than in Iowa. Rent is about 24% higher than the Iowa average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Urbandale, up about 36.2% and 4.7% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Urbandale rose about 39.1% between 2015 and 2023, from $843 to $1,173. Over the same span, rent in Iowa rose about 36.3%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.1 yearly household incomes in Urbandale.
Buying the median-priced home in Urbandale costs roughly 23.1 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 Urbandale. The price-to-rent ratio in Iowa is about 12.6.
| Metric | Urbandale | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $325,661 | $143,535 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $105,981 | $73,286 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.1 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Urbandale rose about 110.9%, while median household income rose about 48.4% between 2009 and 2023 — 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 | Urbandale | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 71.4% | 65.3% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 23.8% | 26.0% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 4.8% | 8.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2012 | 2011 | 2011 |
Urbandale has a homeownership rate of 71.4%, higher than the Iowa average of 65.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 4.8%, compared with 8.6% in Iowa.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Urbandale | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.61 people | 2.37 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1990 | 1970 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.7 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Urbandale was built around 1990. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 6.7 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Urbandale, Iowa.
What is the median home price in Urbandale, Iowa?
The median home price in Urbandale, Iowa is $325,661, higher than the Iowa average of $143,535.
What is the average home price in Urbandale, Iowa?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. 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 Urbandale, Iowa?
The median gross rent in Urbandale, Iowa is $1,173 per month, higher than the Iowa average of $948.
What was the median gross rent in Urbandale in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Urbandale, Iowa was $945 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Urbandale, Iowa?
The price-to-rent ratio in Urbandale, Iowa is about 23.1, meaning it would take roughly 23.1 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 Urbandale.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Urbandale, Iowa?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Urbandale, up about 36.2% and 4.7% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Urbandale, Iowa?
71.4% of households in Urbandale, Iowa own their home, higher than the Iowa average of 65.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Urbandale, Iowa?
The housing vacancy rate in Urbandale, Iowa is 4.8%, lower than the Iowa average of 8.6%.