The story of this market
The typical home in Wapello County, Iowa sells for about $132,702, or $105 per square foot.
Prices are up +1.8% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 88 days to sell, which is slow. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 65% since 2000. Last year 3 of 8 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. The biggest natural hazard here is tornado, which FEMA rates relatively high. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,076 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,076 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate.
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: 2022 (+9.6%). Worst: 2010 (-1.2%). 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
$1,409
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 8 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
74
Relatively Moderate
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $24,063,004.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
75.5%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 895 | 527 | 75.5% | 3.7% | $95,000 |
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 Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded).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.
Wapello County, Iowa
Wapello County's housing market remains stable and highly affordable compared to national averages, with modest price appreciation. Low inventory levels continue to support current pricing, though the market is experiencing a slight slowdown in activity consistent with broader regional trends.
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 · 4 cities · 6 ZIP reports
Median prices moved sideways 0.0% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 71 days on market with 6.8 months of supply — a balanced-paced market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 97% of asking — demand is running ahead of supply.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 3.8% · poverty 15.8% — 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 3 researched ZIP reports of 6 — 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.
Wapello 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 4.7%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
| 52501 | Ottumwa | $127,000 | $105 | — | 71 | 97% | — | 6.9 | 170 | $926 | researched Sep 27 |
| 52536 | Blakesburg | $140,000 | $85 | +2.1% | 112 | 96.5% | 15% | 6.5 | 12 | $626 | researched Sep 27 |
| 52544 | Centerville | $145,000 | $92 | +2.1% | 68 | 96.5% | 12% | 5.2 | 42 | $785 | researched Sep 27 |
| 52554 | Eldon | $130,000 | $42 | +5% | 120 | 95% | 10% | 7.5 | 15 | $692 | researched Sep 27 |
| 52561 | Eddyville | $195,750 | $115 | +2.5% | 120 | 96% | 12% | 6.5 | 27 | $778 | researched Sep 27 |
| 52567 | Libertyville | $369,000 | $146 | — | 52 | 100% | — | — | 20 | $946 | 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 Wapello County, particularly in the county seat of Ottumwa, are generally higher than the rural Iowa average but remain consistent with regional trends for similar-sized industrial hubs.
Public education is primarily served by the Ottumwa Community School District, which faces challenges typical of mid-sized Iowa districts, including managing diverse student needs and aging infrastructure.
The county faces moderate flood risks, particularly along the Des Moines River corridor, and is subject to standard Midwestern severe weather patterns including wind and occasional storm damage.
Economic momentum is anchored by manufacturing and healthcare sectors in Ottumwa, with Indian Hills Community College serving as a significant regional driver for workforce development.
Property taxes are assessed by the Wapello County Assessor based on a state-mandated formula; tax rates vary by local taxing districts, which include school levies, city/county general funds, and special service districts.
The economy is driven by manufacturing, healthcare, and education, with Ottumwa serving as the primary commercial hub for the surrounding rural area.
The county is served by U.S. Highway 63 and U.S. Highway 34, which provide the primary transit corridors for regional commerce and commuting.
The Wapello County Assessor manages property valuations in accordance with Iowa Department of Revenue guidelines, utilizing a biennial reassessment cycle.
Parcels are subject to various taxing districts including school districts, county levies, and municipal service districts.
Property insurance premiums in the region are influenced by exposure to severe convective storms and flood risks associated with the Des Moines River.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
Major regional waterway providing recreational opportunities and historical significance.
Primary regional anchor for higher education and vocational training.
Data retrieved from Census Bureau QuickFacts and Data USA profiles.
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
≈ $3,981/yr on a $132,702 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.