Van Buren County, Iowa Housing Market

In Van Buren County, Iowa, the median home value is $114,600, with a median monthly rent of $622. This places Van Buren County at #2725 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #94 within Iowa.

Median Home Value $114,600
Median Rent $622/mo
Owner Occupancy 81.6%
Price/Rent Ratio 15.4

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

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

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

1,383
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $903
  • Establishments: 187
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

5
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 3
  • Multi-family: 2
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+143
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 2,754 (avg $59,896)
  • Outflow: 2,611 (avg $60,711)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Van Buren County Compares

MetricVan Buren CountyIowa AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $114,600 $171,037 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $622 $832 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 81.6% 75.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 15.4 17.0 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Van Buren County is 33.0% below the Iowa state average and 49.7% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $622/month is 25.2% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 15.4, the buy-vs-rent decision in Van Buren County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Van Buren County has an owner-occupancy rate of 81.6%, 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
Taylor County Florida $114,600 $988
Pratt County Kansas $114,600 $802
Thurston County Nebraska $114,600 $699
Perkins County South Dakota $114,600 $738
Carroll County Illinois $114,500 $818

Other Counties in Iowa

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Emmet County $114,100 $733 79.4%
Decatur County $113,900 $611 69.7%
Taylor County $117,200 $765 77.9%
Wayne County $111,300 $659 80.9%
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).