Polk County
Iowa · Pop. 502,647
Ranked #24 of 200 counties
56Moderate
Median Home Price
🏠$260K
3.5% YoY
Median Rent
🔑$1,200
Median Income
💰$65K
Rent Burden
📊26.5%
% of income to rent
Housing Shortage
🏗️8,000
estimated unit deficit
Building Permits (2024)
📋4,500
Price-to-Income Ratio
⚖️4.0x
Homeownership Rate
🏡64.0%
How Polk County Compares
| Metric | Polk County | Iowa | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Price | $260K | $213K | $410K |
| Rent | $1,200 | $949 | $1,500 |
| Income | $65K | $71K | $75K |
| Rent Burden | 26.5% | 26.0% | 30.0% |
| Homeownership | 64.0% | 72.0% | 65.0% |
Key Takeaways
- • Home prices are 37% below the national average.
- • Rent is 20% below the national average.
- • The county has an estimated housing shortage of 8,000 units.
- • 4,500 building permits were issued in 2024.
- • Year-over-year home prices changed by 3.5%.