Data through September 2026 · updated 2026-11-07 · free, from Zillow, Realtor.com, the Census Bureau and other public sources
Typical home value$279,097+0.2% YoY · prices are flat
Market right nowBuyer's marketMore homes for sale than last year, 25% have cut their price
Income needed to buy, per year$60,502About 0.7× the local median income ($82,960): affordable for a typical household
Days on market64 daysSlower than a year ago: buyers have time to negotiate
Next 12 months+1.6%Zillow expects prices to rise slightly
The typical home in Polk County, IA is worth $279,097, about the same as a year ago. That is slightly above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $257,931, so the area is 8.2% overvalued. It is a buyer's market: homes take about 64 days to sell, listings are up 15% from a year ago, 25% of listings have had a price cut. Zillow expects prices to rise about 1.6% over the next year. A household needs about $60,502 a year to afford the typical home here at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $82,960. Typical rent is $1,220 a month, or $1,670 for a house. In the latest IRS figures, 101 more people moved out than in.
Home value over time
Solid: typical home value · dashed: fair value (household income × the 20-year average price-to-income ratio). Sources: FHFA, Zillow, U.S. Census Bureau.
Prices and affordability
Typical home value
$279,097
Change in 1 year
+0.2%
Overvalued %
+8.2%
Show 7 more
Fair home value
$257,931
Change in 5 years
+19.4%
Zillow forecast, next 12 months
+1.6%
Home value to income
3.4×
Monthly mortgage payment (20% down)
$1,513
Income needed to afford it
$60,502
Property tax rate
1.68%
Rent and investing
Typical rent
$1,220
Typical rent for houses
$1,670
Price-to-rent ratio
19.1×
Show 3 more
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,360
Gross rental yield
5.25%
Cap rate (estimate)
3.41%
Market activity
Listings vs a year ago
+15.3%
Days on market
64
Listings with a price cut
25.3%
Show 3 more
Homes for sale
2,421
Pending sales per 100 listings
32
Asking price per sq ft
$217
People and jobs
Median household income
$82,960
Population change (1 year)
+0.6%
Unemployment rate
4.3%
Show 4 more
Population
516,546
Income adjusted for cost of living
$90,469
Net moves in (IRS)
−101
Cost of living (US = 100)
91.7
Schools, risk and environment
School rating (1 to 10)
5.0
FEMA hazard risk score (0 to 100)
92.0
Unhealthy air days a year
2
Show 4 more
Flood risk score
92.1
Wildfire risk score
57.7
Walkability (1 to 20)
11.2
Road, rail and air noise
54 dB
Questions people ask
Is Polk County, IA overvalued?
Home prices in Polk County, IA are slightly above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $257,931, so the area is 8.2% overvalued.
Is Polk County, IA a buyer's or seller's market?
Polk County, IA is a buyer's market: homes take about 64 days to sell, listings are up 15% from a year ago, 25% of listings have had a price cut.
Are home prices going down in Polk County, IA?
Home values in Polk County, IA are up 0.2% over the last year. Zillow's forecast for the next 12 months is +1.6%.
How much do you need to earn to buy a home in Polk County, IA?
A household needs about $60,502 a year to afford the typical home in Polk County, IA at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $82,960.