Decatur County, Iowa Housing Market

In Decatur County, Iowa, the median home value is $113,900, with a median monthly rent of $611. This places Decatur County at #2738 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #96 within Iowa.

Median Home Value $113,900
Median Rent $611/mo
Owner Occupancy 69.7%
Price/Rent Ratio 15.5

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

ℹ️ FHFA HPI data is not available for this county due to limited mortgage transaction volume.

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

1,770
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $805
  • Establishments: 193
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

1
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 1
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+214
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 2,694 (avg $57,635)
  • Outflow: 2,480 (avg $58,402)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Decatur County Compares

MetricDecatur CountyIowa AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $113,900 $171,037 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $611 $832 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 69.7% 75.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 15.5 17.0 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Decatur County is 33.4% below the Iowa state average and 50.0% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $611/month is 26.6% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 15.5, the buy-vs-rent decision in Decatur County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Decatur County has an owner-occupancy rate of 69.7%, 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 Nebraska $113,900 $876
Cotton County Oklahoma $113,900 $772
Crenshaw County Alabama $114,000 $661
Lamar County Alabama $114,000 $549
Fulton County Arkansas $113,800 $626

Other Counties in Iowa

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Emmet County $114,100 $733 79.4%
Van Buren County $114,600 $622 81.6%
Wayne County $111,300 $659 80.9%
Taylor County $117,200 $765 77.9%
Keokuk County $118,700 $828 81.3%

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).