Iowa City housing market
Typical home value
$300K
▲ 3.0% 1 yr
Typical rent
$1,757/mo
▲ 7.9% 1 yr
12-month forecast
+3.3%
#110 of 546 metros
Gross rent yield
7.0%
#121 of 546 · U.S. 6.3%
Days to pending
46 days
▼ −12 days 1 yr
Listings with a price cut
19%
▼ −0.7 pts 1 yr
Key takeaways
- 1The typical home is worth $300,040, up 3.0% in a year and up 24% over five years.
- 2Zillow forecasts home values rising 3.3% over the next 12 months (U.S.: +1.1%).
- 3Typical rent is $1,757/mo (+7.9% YoY), a 7.0% gross yield, above the U.S. 6.3%.
- 4At 7.32% with 20% down, the typical home costs $1,649/mo in principal and interest, $108 less than renting.
- 5Homes go under contract in 46 days (−12 days vs last year); 19% of listings have had a price cut.
Market temperature
Seller's market
Buyer'sNeutralSeller's
Zillow Market Heat Index: 64/100, #16 hottest of 546 metros. Below 44 favors buyers; above 55 favors sellers.
Home values and rent
How fast homes are selling
For saleNew listings
Affordability
To buy (20% down)To rent
Source: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI and market activity data).
How Iowa City compares
| Measure | Iowa City | United States | Rank of 546 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home value, 1-yr change | +3.0% | +1.2% | #200 |
| Home value, 5-yr change | +24.3% | +19.7% | |
| 12-month forecast | +3.3% | +1.1% | #110 |
| Rent, 1-yr change | +7.9% | +2.7% | #38 |
| Gross rent yield | 7.0% | 6.3% | #121 |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 14.2 | 15.8 | |
| Mortgage P&I on typical home | $1,649 | $2,012 | |
| Income needed to buy | $89,367 | $100,902 | |
| Days to pending | 46 | 56 |
Cities in the Iowa City metro
3 cities with home value and rent data.
| Iowa City | $300K | ▲ 3.0% | $1,713 | ▲ 9.1% | 6.8% |
| Coralville | $261K | ▲ 2.8% | $1,282 | ▲ 10.2% | 5.9% |
| North Liberty | $311K | ▲ 2.2% | $1,808 | ▲ 7.7% | 7.0% |
Run the numbers
Rental property calculator
Cash flow on a typical Iowa City rental ($300K, $1,757/mo), pre-filled.
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment on a typical Iowa City home.
Rent vs buy
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Iowa City?
Other Iowa metros
Des Moines, IA
$293K home$1,280 rent5.3% yield
▲ 0.5% 1 yr
Cedar Rapids, IA
$247K home$1,226 rent6.0% yield
▲ 3.9% 1 yr
Waterloo, IA
$198K home$1,023 rent6.2% yield
▲ 0.9% 1 yr
Sioux City, IA
$224K home$1,295 rent6.9% yield
▲ 3.4% 1 yr
Ames, IA
$277K home$1,162 rent5.0% yield
▲ 2.6% 1 yr
Dubuque, IA
$277K home$1,063 rent4.6% yield
▲ 4.3% 1 yr
Gross yield = 12 × typical rent ÷ typical home value, before expenses. Mortgage estimate: 20% down, 30-year fixed at the current Freddie Mac average, principal and interest only. Forecast: Zillow Home Value Forecast. Data refreshed Oct 26, 2026.