In short
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $227,300 in Iowa and $213,300 in the city of Des Moines, against $360,600 nationwide (Census ACS 2024). On the FHFA index, Iowa prices up 2.2% and Des Moines–West Des Moines prices up 0.1% from Q2 2025 to Q2 2026.
What it costs: median value in 2024
| Area | Median value, 2024 | Margin of error (90%) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $360,600 | ±$618 |
| Iowa | $227,300 | ±$2,299 |
| Des Moines–West Des Moines metro area | $288,400 | ±$5,998 |
| Polk County | $281,400 | ±$6,556 |
| City of Des Moines | $213,300 | ±$6,212 |
Source: Census ACS 2024, table B25077; owners’ own estimates, not sale prices.
Three points stand out:
- The Iowa median is $133,300 below the national median.
- The city of Des Moines sits $14,000 below the Iowa median and $75,100 below the metro median. The suburbs and the rest of Polk County pull the metro figure up.
- The margin of error for the city (±$6,212) is wider than for the state, because the sample is smaller. The true city median is very likely between about $207,100 and $219,500.
How prices have moved: the FHFA index
| Area | 1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026) | 5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | +2.1% | +33.4% |
| Iowa | +2.2% | +32.2% |
| Des Moines–West Des Moines metro area | +0.1% | +27.1% |
Source: FHFA HPI, purchase-only, Q2 2026 (release of August 25, 2026); changes by Payotte.
Iowa prices kept pace with the nation over the past year (+2.2% against +2.1%), while the Des Moines area was almost flat. Over five years, the Des Moines area gained about 27%, less than Iowa as a whole (32.2%) and the nation (33.4%).
A worked example
A Des Moines-area home worth $340,000 in Q2 2021 would be about $432,000 in Q2 2026 on the Des Moines–West Des Moines index index (+27.1%); over the last year alone it would gain about $190 (+0.1%). One home can differ widely.
How to use these figures when buying
Closing costs come on top: our Iowa closing costs guide covers who pays what, and buying a home in Des Moines applies these numbers to the city, including property tax. First-time buyers can also check the Iowa first-time buyer programs.
Method and dataset
ACS median value. ACS 1-Year 2024, table B25077. Geographies: United States (0100000US), Iowa (0400000US19), Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA metro area (310M700US19780), Polk County (0500000US19153), Des Moines city (1600000US1921000). Read through the data.census.gov API on October 13, 2026. The definition of value comes from the ACS 2024 Subject Definitions.
FHFA index. FHFA HPI (purchase-only, seasonally adjusted), state series (Iowa), metro series (Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA, code 19780) and U.S. series. Index values used: Iowa 372.25 (Q2 2025), 287.90 (Q2 2021) and 380.62 (Q2 2026); Des Moines–West Des Moines 363.74, 286.41 and 363.94; United States 426.58, 326.58 and 435.69.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median home value in Iowa?
Iowa’s 2024 ACS median home value is $227,300 (±$2,299), against $360,600 for the nation: owners’ own estimates, not sale prices.
What is the median home value in Des Moines?
For the city of Des Moines, the 2024 ACS median value is $213,300 (±$6,212). Polk County is at $281,400 and the Des Moines–West Des Moines metro area at $288,400.
Are Iowa home prices going up or down?
FHFA’s purchase-only index shows Iowa prices rose 2.2% over the year to Q2 2026, and the Des Moines–West Des Moines area rose 0.1%. Over five years, they rose 32.2% and 27.1%.
How Iowa compares with the other States
With a median of $227,300, Iowa is 44th of 50, in the bottom ten, and sits 37% under the national $360,600.
The States closest in median value are Kentucky ($226,000) and Louisiana ($223,200). The range runs from $170,800 in West Virginia to $875,900 in Hawaii; Iowa is $112,200 below the middle of that ranking (Wyoming).
On the FHFA index, Iowa prices rose 2.2% over the year to the second quarter of 2026, which places the State 30th of 50 and level with the nation (+2.1%). Over five years the gain is +32.2% (36th of 50; nation +33.4%).
Iowa sits in the middle of the pack on at least one of the two measures: 44th for the level, 30th for the one-year change.
Over five years, Iowa's +32.2% annualises to +5.7% a year (nation +5.9%). The latest year (+2.2%) is 3.5 points under that average, a slower pace than the five-year average.
Des Moines, the main city, has a median of $213,300, 44th of the 49 main cities Payotte covers. That is 6% below the Iowa median, a discount that ranks 36th of 49.
The one-year FHFA change runs from -1.2% in New Mexico to +8.3% in Alaska. Iowa (+2.2%) is 6.1 points below the top and 3.4 above the bottom; South Carolina (+2.4%) and Oklahoma (+2%) are the nearest to it.
For scale, 20% of the Iowa median is $45,460, against $72,120 at the national median.
Compare with the other states: Median home price by state.
More Iowa guides
- Closing costs in Iowa: what buyers and sellers pay
- Iowa real estate transfer tax: $1.60 per $1,000 of price
- Iowa property tax: rollback, homestead credit and 2026 changes
- What must a home seller disclose in Iowa?
- Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Iowa?
- Foreclosure process in Iowa: steps, timeline and redemption
- First-time home buyer programs in Iowa and Des Moines
- How to verify a real estate license in Iowa
- Title insurance in Iowa: why you get a guaranty, not a policy
Sources
- Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2024, table B25077 (consulted October 13, 2026)
- Census Bureau, 2025 ACS release schedule (consulted October 13, 2026)
- American Community Survey 2024 Subject Definitions (U.S. Census Bureau) (consulted October 13, 2026)
- FHFA news release, August 25, 2026 (consulted October 13, 2026)
- FHFA HPI datasets (quarterly, purchase-only) (consulted October 13, 2026)