Iowa ranks #50 of 51 for home affordability in 2026.
Home Affordability (Price-to-Income) by State
Low → High
Source: Census ACS + Zillow (ACS 2023 × ZHVI 2026)
Updated 2026-04-25. Click any state for the full breakdown.
Iowa home affordability is 3.242 as of ACS 2023 × ZHVI 2026, according to Census ACS + Zillow. That puts Iowa at rank #50 of 50 US states, below the national average of 4.824.
Among Iowa's neighbors, Minnesota shows 4.074, Wisconsin shows 4.424, Illinois shows 3.558. Use the CalcFi compare view to line all of them up: /maps/compare?cat=affordability&states=ia,mn,wi,il. Nearby states share labor markets and housing corridors, so the comparison is usually the most relevant one.
Top Iowa metros include Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport. City-level home affordability data drops in Q3 2026 once BLS releases its metro-area tables for the year. Des Moines is the state capital. Until then, the state-level number is the best available read.
3 cities ranked by home affordability (price-to-income) by state. Lower is better.
Note: Median home price divided by median household income. State map uses Zillow ZHVI ÷ ACS B19013; city uses Census/Zillow seed — same formula, different vintage.
Price-to-income ratio computed as Zillow ZHVI (state median home value, all homes, smoothed seasonally adjusted) divided by Census ACS 1-year median household income (B19013). Higher ratio = harder to afford. Both inputs are state aggregates — county and metro variance can be substantial.