Emmet County, Iowa Housing Market

In Emmet County, Iowa, the median home value is $114,100, with a median monthly rent of $733. This places Emmet County at #2733 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #95 within Iowa.

Median Home Value $114,100
Median Rent $733/mo
Owner Occupancy 79.4%
Price/Rent Ratio 13.0

📈 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 Emmet County rose +4.4% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

2,626
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $966
  • Establishments: 300
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

14
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 14
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+223
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 3,787 (avg $66,672)
  • Outflow: 3,564 (avg $67,877)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Emmet County Compares

MetricEmmet CountyIowa AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $114,100 $171,037 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $733 $832 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 79.4% 75.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 13.0 17.0 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Emmet County is 33.3% below the Iowa state average and 49.9% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $733/month is 11.9% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 13.0, buying a home in Emmet County is generally more favorable than renting for those planning to stay long-term. A ratio below 15 typically signals that purchasing is financially advantageous over a multi-year horizon.

Emmet County has an owner-occupancy rate of 79.4%, compared to 75.8% in Iowa and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Traverse County Minnesota $114,100 $615
Copiah County Mississippi $114,100 $766
Crenshaw County Alabama $114,000 $661
Lamar County Alabama $114,000 $549
Decatur County Iowa $113,900 $611

Other Counties in Iowa

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Decatur County $113,900 $611 69.7%
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).