Wapello County, Iowa Housing Market

In Wapello County, Iowa, the median home value is $125,100, with a median monthly rent of $920. This places Wapello County at #2546 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #80 within Iowa.

Median Home Value $125,100
Median Rent $920/mo
Owner Occupancy 68.4%
Price/Rent Ratio 11.3

📈 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 Wapello County fell -1.4% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

12,575
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $1,051
  • Establishments: 800
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

42
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 10
  • Multi-family: 32
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+728
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 13,553 (avg $62,132)
  • Outflow: 12,825 (avg $63,294)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Wapello County Compares

MetricWapello CountyIowa AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $125,100 $171,037 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $920 $832 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 68.4% 75.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 11.3 17.0 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Wapello County is 26.9% below the Iowa state average and 45.1% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $920/month is 10.6% above the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 11.3, buying a home in Wapello 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.

Wapello County has an owner-occupancy rate of 68.4%, 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
Edgecombe County North Carolina $125,100 $858
Green County Kentucky $125,000 $610
Bracken County Kentucky $125,000 $756
Page County Iowa $125,300 $705
Scott County Tennessee $124,900 $686

Other Counties in Iowa

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Page County $125,300 $705 70.5%
Appanoose County $124,200 $784 68.8%
Franklin County $124,100 $696 72.4%
Palo Alto County $123,200 $638 77.1%
Osceola County $122,600 $797 77.9%

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).