Worth County, Iowa Housing Market

In Worth County, Iowa, the median home value is $145,800, with a median monthly rent of $758. This places Worth County at #2298 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #68 within Iowa.

Median Home Value $145,800
Median Rent $758/mo
Owner Occupancy 83.2%
Price/Rent Ratio 16.0

📈 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 Worth County rose +11.8% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

1,884
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $962
  • Establishments: 197
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

5
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 5
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+98
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 3,046 (avg $72,355)
  • Outflow: 2,948 (avg $73,480)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Worth County Compares

MetricWorth CountyIowa AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $145,800 $171,037 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $758 $832 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 83.2% 75.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 16.0 17.0 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Worth County is 14.8% below the Iowa state average and 36.0% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $758/month is 8.9% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 16.0, the buy-vs-rent decision in Worth County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Worth County has an owner-occupancy rate of 83.2%, 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
Ballard County Kentucky $145,800 $817
Harlan County Nebraska $145,800 $657
Bibb County Alabama $145,700 $733
Bond County Illinois $145,700 $785
Atchison County Kansas $145,700 $765

Other Counties in Iowa

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Marshall County $145,500 $885 75.0%
Howard County $147,800 $713 77.4%
Floyd County $143,500 $745 76.6%
Kossuth County $148,300 $859 78.6%
Tama County $148,600 $872 76.0%

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).