Wayne County, Iowa Housing Market

In Wayne County, Iowa, the median home value is $111,300, with a median monthly rent of $659. This places Wayne County at #2776 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #97 within Iowa.

Median Home Value $111,300
Median Rent $659/mo
Owner Occupancy 80.9%
Price/Rent Ratio 14.1

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

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

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

1,344
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $1,018
  • Establishments: 148
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

3
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 3
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+152
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 2,417 (avg $59,412)
  • Outflow: 2,265 (avg $61,395)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Wayne County Compares

MetricWayne CountyIowa AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $111,300 $171,037 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $659 $832 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 80.9% 75.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 14.1 17.0 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Wayne County is 34.9% below the Iowa state average and 51.1% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $659/month is 20.8% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 14.1, buying a home in Wayne 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.

Wayne County has an owner-occupancy rate of 80.9%, 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
Twiggs County Georgia $111,300 $808
Neosho County Kansas $111,300 $681
Bee County Texas $111,300 $1,065
Hamilton County Florida $111,200 $724
Kingman County Kansas $111,100 $846

Other Counties in Iowa

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Ida County $108,900 $696 72.9%
Decatur County $113,900 $611 69.7%
Emmet County $114,100 $733 79.4%
Van Buren County $114,600 $622 81.6%
Taylor County $117,200 $765 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).