Best Places to Buy Rental Property in Iowa (2026)
15 Iowa cities ranked by entry price, $115,300 to $355,000, each with 100+ tracked closings inside the city limits.
There is no honest way to rank Iowa cities by rental return without rent data, and this page does not have it. What it does have is transaction evidence: the median price homes actually closed at inside each city's limits, and how many closings happened. That answers the two questions that come before any cash flow analysis, what it costs to get in and whether you can get back out.
What this page measures, and what it does not
Every city below cleared at least 100 closings in its reporting window, which filters out markets too thin to read. They are ranked cheapest first by median closed price, from $115,300 to $355,000. You will not find rent estimates, rent-to-price ratios, cap rates, cash-on-cash projections or gross yield rankings here. Resideline does not have verified rent data for these cities, so publishing those numbers would be invention rather than analysis. Entry price and transaction volume are what the data supports. Every figure describes closings inside the city limits, not the wider postal area that shares the city's name. The two can differ a lot: a postal area usually reaches into surrounding townships, which pulls the median toward whatever those townships are worth. Iowa's statewide median closed price is $260,995 across 20,106 tracked closings.
The rankings
| City | Median closed price | Closings tracked | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | $115,300 | 225 | 6 months |
| Waterloo | $175,000 | 512 | 6 months |
| Davenport | $192,000 | 708 | 6 months |
| Cedar Rapids | $210,880 | 1,186 | 6 months |
| Sioux City | $215,000 | 594 | 6 months |
| Des Moines | $215,000 | 1,722 | 6 months |
| Council Bluffs | $220,000 | 406 | 6 months |
| Marion | $287,000 | 395 | 6 months |
| Iowa City | $305,000 | 562 | 6 months |
| Ames | $327,000 | 334 | 6 months |
| North Liberty | $329,000 | 313 | 6 months |
| Coralville | $337,290 | 255 | 6 months |
| Ankeny | $340,000 | 1,003 | 6 months |
| Altoona | $345,000 | 207 | 6 months |
| Urbandale | $355,000 | 566 | 6 months |
1. Burlington, $115,300, 225 closings
At $115,300 the entry price is about 44 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 225 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 38 a month. About 93 percent of those closings are houses, so the figure describes that segment rather than every property type. Full detail is on the Burlington market page.
2. Waterloo, $175,000, 512 closings
At $175,000 the entry price is about 67 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 512 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 85 a month. About 87 percent of those closings are houses, so the figure describes that segment rather than every property type. Full detail is on the Waterloo market page.
3. Davenport, $192,000, 708 closings
At $192,000 the entry price is about 74 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 708 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 118 a month. About 90 percent of those closings are houses, so the figure describes that segment rather than every property type. Full detail is on the Davenport market page.
4. Cedar Rapids, $210,880, 1,186 closings
At $210,880 the entry price is about 81 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 1,186 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 198 a month. Full detail is on the Cedar Rapids market page.
5. Sioux City, $215,000, 594 closings
At $215,000 the entry price is about 82 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 594 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 99 a month. About 89 percent of those closings are houses, so the figure describes that segment rather than every property type. Full detail is on the Sioux City market page.
6. Des Moines, $215,000, 1,722 closings
At $215,000 the entry price is about 82 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 1,722 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 287 a month. About 91 percent of those closings are houses, so the figure describes that segment rather than every property type. Full detail is on the Des Moines market page.
7. Council Bluffs, $220,000, 406 closings
At $220,000 the entry price is about 84 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 406 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 68 a month. About 93 percent of those closings are houses, so the figure describes that segment rather than every property type. Full detail is on the Council Bluffs market page.
8. Marion, $287,000, 395 closings
At $287,000 the entry price is about 110 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 395 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 66 a month. Full detail is on the Marion market page.
9. Iowa City, $305,000, 562 closings
At $305,000 the entry price is about 117 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 562 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 94 a month. Full detail is on the Iowa City market page.
10. Ames, $327,000, 334 closings
At $327,000 the entry price is about 125 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 334 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 56 a month. Full detail is on the Ames market page.
11. North Liberty, $329,000, 313 closings
At $329,000 the entry price is about 126 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 313 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 52 a month. Full detail is on the North Liberty market page.
12. Coralville, $337,290, 255 closings
At $337,290 the entry price is about 129 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 255 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 42 a month. Full detail is on the Coralville market page.
13. Ankeny, $340,000, 1,003 closings
At $340,000 the entry price is about 130 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 1,003 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 167 a month. Full detail is on the Ankeny market page.
14. Altoona, $345,000, 207 closings
At $345,000 the entry price is about 132 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 207 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 34 a month. About 84 percent of those closings are houses, so the figure describes that segment rather than every property type. Full detail is on the Altoona market page.
15. Urbandale, $355,000, 566 closings
At $355,000 the entry price is about 136 percent of the Iowa median. Resideline tracked 566 closings there over the last last six months, roughly 94 a month. Full detail is on the Urbandale market page.
How to use this list
Treat it as a shortlist, not an answer. A citywide median cannot price a specific address: property type, size, condition and location move a number far more than the city line does. Run any address on this list through Resideline for the comparable set behind its value.
Figures last updated August 23, 2026 from closings Resideline tracked.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest Iowa city to buy an investment property?
Of the 15 cities on this list, Burlington has the lowest median closed price at $115,300, measured across 225 closings tracked inside the city limits.
Which affordable Iowa market has the most transaction volume?
Des Moines, with 1,722 tracked closings and a median closed price of $215,000. More closings means a deeper comparable set to price against.
Do these rankings include rent or cash flow figures?
No. Resideline does not have verified rent data for these cities, so this page ranks on entry price and transaction volume only. Publishing yields or cash-on-cash figures without rent data would be invention rather than analysis.
Do these figures cover the city or the wider postal area?
The city. Every median and count here describes closings inside the municipal boundary, which is usually a smaller and different footprint from the postal area that shares the name.
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