The story of this market
The typical home in Buena Vista County, Iowa sells for about $191,650, or $115 per square foot.
Prices are up +1.4% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 105 days to sell, which is slow. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 99% since 2000. The biggest natural hazard here is hail, which FEMA rates relatively high. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,031 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,031 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
+2%
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 (+15.1%). Worst: 2010 (-1.3%). 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
+2%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 4 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
69
Relatively Moderate
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $12,010,609.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
84%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 452 | 325 | 84% | 12.5% | $135,000 |
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 Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded).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.
Buena Vista County, Iowa
The Buena Vista County housing market remains stable with modest price appreciation and low inventory levels. Demand is supported by a consistent local workforce, though population trends remain flat. The market is characterized by affordability relative to national averages, making it accessible for local buyers.
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 · 11 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 1.4% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 35 days on market with 0.0 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 0.24% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 3.2% · poverty 7.8% — 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 11 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.
Buena Vista 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 4.0%/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
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| 50502 | Alta | $133,052 | $105 | +1.6% | 31 | — | — | — | 129 | $1,031 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50510 | Albert City | $175,000 | $112 | +2.4% | 68 | 97.5% | 12% | 5.2 | 42 | $777 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50523 | Callender | $165,000 | $112 | +2.4% | 88 | 97.5% | 15% | 4.2 | 12 | $406 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50533 | Eagle Grove | $141,500 | $112 | — | 62 | — | — | — | 135 | $996 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50548 | Humboldt | $215,000 | $135 | +3.2% | 48 | 98.2% | 12% | 4.1 | 32 | $741 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50565 | Marathon | $155,000 | $98 | +2.5% | 85 | 96.5% | 12% | 6.2 | 23 | $817 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50568 | Newell | $165,000 | $118 | +3.2% | 42 | 97.5% | 12.5% | 3.8 | 38 | $783 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50576 | Rembrandt | $106,100 | $65 | +2.1% | 120 | 96.5% | 15% | 6.2 | 53 | $1,016 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50583 | Sac City | $145,000 | $108 | +3.2% | 62 | 97.4% | 12.5% | 3.5 | 14 | $669 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50585 | Sioux Rapids | $145,000 | $112 | +3.5% | 68 | 97.5% | 12% | 4.2 | 14 | $612 | 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.
The county is served by several local school districts, including Storm Lake Community School District, which provides public education for the area's primary population center.
The region is subject to standard Midwestern weather risks, including severe thunderstorms and occasional flooding, with property insurance premiums reflecting these regional hazard profiles.
The local economy is anchored by agriculture and food processing, with major employers including Tyson Foods in Storm Lake providing significant regional employment.
Property taxes are assessed by the Buena Vista County Assessor based on property valuations, with rates determined by local levies from school districts, the county, and municipal governments.
The county features Storm Lake, a major recreational destination offering boating, fishing, and lakeside parks, alongside various community trails and local golf courses.
The rental market is characterized by steady demand driven by the local workforce, with limited new multi-family construction keeping vacancy rates relatively low.
The economy is heavily reliant on the agricultural sector and food processing, with Tyson Foods serving as the primary industrial employer in the county.
The county is served by U.S. Highway 71 and Iowa Highway 7, which facilitate regional transit and freight movement.
Local planning efforts are focused on maintaining infrastructure and supporting small-scale residential infill projects in Storm Lake.
The Buena Vista County Assessor's office manages property valuations, conducting periodic reassessments to ensure equitable tax distribution.
Parcels are subject to levies from the county, local school districts, and municipal entities, with some areas potentially falling under specific drainage or utility districts.
Property insurance markets remain stable, though premiums are influenced by regional exposure to severe weather events common in Northwest Iowa.
- King's Pointe Resort4.13.2 mi
- King's Pointe Resort4.13.2 mi
- World's Largest Popcorn Ball4.318.6 mi
- Awaysis Park4.63.3 mi
- Vista 34.33.4 mi
- Sunset Park4.53.9 mi
- Chautauqua Park4.63.7 mi
- Sanford Museum & Planetarium4.721.4 mi
- Sunset Park4.53.9 mi
- Awaysis Park4.63.3 mi
- Sunset Park4.53.9 mi
- Chautauqua Park4.63.7 mi
- King's Pointe Resort4.13.2 mi
- Hy-Vee Grocery Store4.43.3 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area from Google Maps, ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
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 3,200-acre lake providing fishing, boating, and swimming opportunities.
Public golf course located along the shores of Storm Lake.
Hosts annual county fair and community events.
Data retrieved from U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts and Census Reporter.
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.
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
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
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
≈ $5,750/yr on a $191,650 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.