Cass County, Iowa Housing Market

In Cass County, Iowa, the median home value is $150,300, with a median monthly rent of $777. This places Cass County at #2239 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #63 within Iowa.

Median Home Value $150,300
Median Rent $777/mo
Owner Occupancy 71.6%
Price/Rent Ratio 16.1

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Cass County rose +1.2% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

4,273
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $963
  • Establishments: 471
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

11
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 7
  • Multi-family: 4
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+329
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 5,402 (avg $75,223)
  • Outflow: 5,073 (avg $76,705)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Cass County Compares

MetricCass CountyIowa AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $150,300 $171,037 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $777 $832 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 71.6% 75.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 16.1 17.0 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Cass County is 12.1% below the Iowa state average and 34.0% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $777/month is 6.6% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 16.1, the buy-vs-rent decision in Cass County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Cass County has an owner-occupancy rate of 71.6%, compared to 75.8% in Iowa and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more renter-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Brown County Illinois $150,300 $698
Assumption Parish Louisiana $150,300 $810
Rock Island County Illinois $150,400 $889
Douglas County Illinois $150,400 $848
Louisa County Iowa $150,100 $775

Other Counties in Iowa

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Louisa County $150,100 $775 80.3%
Tama County $148,600 $872 76.0%
Kossuth County $148,300 $859 78.6%
Howard County $147,800 $713 77.4%
Crawford County $153,700 $743 76.0%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).