The story of this market
The typical home in Howard County, Iowa sells for about $148,000, or $85 per square foot.
Prices are up +2.1% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 112 days to sell, which is slow. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 90% since 2000. The biggest natural hazard here is strong wind, which FEMA rates very high. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $927 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $927 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively High.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
0%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2005 (+22.5%). Worst: 2016 (-3.3%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+1.5%
IA · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$1,284
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
0%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 3 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
90
Relatively High
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $9,208,672.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
65.4%
2019 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 86 | 37 | 65.6% | 0% | $135,000 |
| 2019 | 103▲ | 49▲ | 65.4% | 0% | $145,000▲ |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Howard County, Iowa
The Howard County housing market remains stable with low inventory and consistent demand for single-family homes. Prices have seen modest year-over-year growth, supported by a strong local labor market and low unemployment. The market is characterized by limited turnover and a focus on long-term ownership.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 6 cities · 8 ZIP reports
Median prices moved down 0.1% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 44 days on market with 0.1 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 17.19% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 2.4% · poverty 8.9% — a stable, low-distress profile.
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this county — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident.
Deterministic aggregate of 8 researched ZIP reports — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Howard County, Iowa — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 2.8%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
Each property observation weighs one in its ZIP's deterministic roll-up — property-level records (taxes, scores, permits) never roll individually. Latest property research run Sep 14, 2026.
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Oct 1
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Oct 1
researched Sep 27
| 52128 | Elma | $185,000 | $135 | +2.8% | 48 | 98.5% | 15% | 3.2 | 12 | $950 | researched Sep 27 |
| 52134 | Chester | $49,000 | $32 | — | 186 | 100% | — | 1 | 1 | $579 | researched Sep 27 |
| 52136 | Cresco | — | — | — | 29 | — | — | — | 24 | $713 | researched Oct 1 |
| 52144 | Fort Atkinson | $165,000 | $143 | +2.5% | 85 | 96.5% | 15% | 6.2 | 12 | $1,083 | researched Sep 27 |
| 52155 | Lime Springs | $140,000 | $35 | — | 120 | 100% | — | — | 4 | $702 | researched Sep 27 |
| 52163 | Protivin | $300,000 | $145 | +0.3% | 120 | 97.5% | 12% | 4.5 | 67 | $950 | researched Sep 27 |
| 52165 | Ridgeway | $185,000 | $112 | +2.4% | 68 | 97.2% | 12% | 4.6 | 14 | $655 | researched Oct 1 |
| 52166 | Riceville | $247,000 | $163 | -6.2% | 97 | 96.8% | 33.3% | 3.8 | 74 | $850 | researched Sep 27 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
Crime rates in Howard County remain low and stable, consistently tracking below both state and national averages for rural jurisdictions.
Schools in the county are primarily served by the Howard-Winneshiek and Riceville community school districts, which are characterized by small class sizes and strong community engagement.
The county faces moderate risk from severe weather events, including wind and occasional flooding along the Upper Iowa River, with standard insurance coverage generally available.
The local economy is anchored by agriculture and manufacturing, with steady but modest development momentum focused on maintaining infrastructure and supporting local small businesses.
Property taxes are assessed by the Howard County Assessor based on a state-mandated formula; rates vary by school district and municipal levies, with standard homestead and military exemptions available.
The county offers extensive outdoor recreation through the Howard County Conservation Board, featuring numerous parks, wildlife areas, and trails for hiking and fishing.
The rental market is characterized by limited inventory and high demand for single-family homes, with few large-scale apartment complexes available.
The economy is primarily driven by the agricultural sector and local manufacturing, with a low unemployment rate of 2.4% as of May 2026.
Transportation is primarily via state and county highways, with no major public transit systems serving the rural geography.
Development is largely focused on small-scale residential and commercial improvements within the existing city limits.
The Howard County Assessor manages property valuations, adhering to Iowa's biennial assessment cycle.
Parcels are subject to various school district levies and county-wide emergency service assessments.
Property insurance remains stable, though premiums are influenced by regional exposure to severe weather.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
A network of local parks and wildlife areas providing outdoor recreation.
A scenic waterway popular for fishing and canoeing.
Data retrieved from Census Reporter and US Census Bureau QuickFacts.
Public schools whose reported address is in this area (NCES). Not attendance boundaries — schools that serve residents may sit outside it. Check the district's address locator for assignment.
Iowa generally requires judicial foreclosure proceedings. Borrowers are entitled to a notice of right to cure default prior to the initiation of foreclosure actions. Redemption rights exist post-sale unless specific statutory exceptions (such as foreclosure without redemption for nonagricultural land) are met.
Iowa Code Chapter 654
applies when — Property must be occupied as the owner's homestead
Provides legal protections for the homestead property, including specific exemptions from judicial sale for debts, as defined under state law.
Iowa Code Chapter 561
The taxable value is determined by applying an assessment limitation (rollback) to the assessed market value. The limitation is calculated annually to restrict the growth in aggregate taxable value for the residential class to 3% statewide.
Iowa Code Chapter 441; Iowa Department of Revenue Property Tax Overview
≈ $4,440/yr on a $148,000 median
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.