The story of this market
The typical home in Warren County, Iowa sells for about $325,000, or $182 per square foot.
Prices are up +4.84% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 62 days to sell, which is slow. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 113% since 2000. Last year 9 of 14 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,360 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,360 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Low.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
+2.8%
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 (+14.2%). Worst: 2010 (-3.1%). 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
$1,856
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
+2.8%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 14 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
30
Relatively Low
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $18,746,257.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
86%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2900 | 1771 | 86% | 2.9% | $195,000 |
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 Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded).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.
Warren County, Iowa
Warren County maintains a resilient residential market characterized by modest year-over-year price growth and low single-digit appreciation. Buyer demand remains anchored by strong schools and commuter proximity to Des Moines, balanced by rising inventory and elongated days on market reflecting current mortgage rate conditions.
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 · 14 cities · 16 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 4.7% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 48 days on market with 2.7 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
17% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 82.4% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 2.9% · poverty 6.3% — 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 14 researched ZIP reports of 16 — 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.
Warren 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 6.5%/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
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researched Sep 27
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researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
| 50001 | Ackworth | $308,500 | $229 | +1% | 57 | 98.9% | 19% | 4.1 | 3,361 | $1,438 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50032 | Berwick | $249,000 | $138 | +36.5% | 51 | 98.9% | 19% | 0.2 | 289 | $826 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50033 | Bevington | $216,870 | $194 | +0.9% | 29 | — | — | — | 1,422 | $1,050 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50047 | Carlisle | $254,847 | $195 | -4.4% | 12 | 100% | — | 1 | 82 | $1,227 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50061 | Cumming | $308,500 | $229 | +1% | 57 | 98.9% | 19% | 4.1 | 3,361 | $1,163 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50118 | Hartford | $230,000 | $206 | +2.2% | 53 | 98.5% | 18% | 3.6 | 1,422 | $1,151 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50125 | Indianola | $308,500 | $229 | +1% | 57 | 98.9% | 19% | 4.1 | 3,361 | $992 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50149 | Lacona | $230,000 | $206 | +2.2% | 53 | 98.9% | 18% | 1.8 | 1,422 | $836 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50160 | Martensdale | $216,870 | $194 | +0.9% | 29 | — | — | — | 3,514 | $858 | researched Sep 27 |
| 50166 | Milo | $233,000 | $194 | -0.2% | 36 | 98.5% | 34.1% | 2.6 | 744 | $775 | 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.
Warren County exhibits crime rates notably lower than the Iowa statewide and national averages, driven largely by suburban and semi-rural residential environments in communities such as Indianola and Norwalk.
Public education is anchored by well-regarded community school districts including Indianola, Norwalk, and Carlisle, which consistently perform above state benchmarks in graduation rates and standardized testing.
Primary hazards stem from severe convective storms, tornadoes, and riverine flash flooding near local tributaries and the Des Moines River basin. Property insurance trends mirror broader Midwest convective storm cost pressures.
Warren County is among the faster-growing counties in the Des Moines metropolitan statistical area, fueled by residential suburban expansion south of Des Moines, proximity to Des Moines International Airport, and manufacturing/institutional employers in Indianola.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. Federal (United States (federal)) — Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Superfund Liens: Establishes a statutory federal lien upon the parcel running in favor of the United States for all unrecovered cleanup costs, damages, and statutory interest incurred by the EPA. Rate and formula: Direct Dollar-for-Dollar Reimbursement (Lien Amount = Incurred Response Costs + Administrative Costs + Federal (United States (federal)) — Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) Withholding: Imposes an affirmative withholding tax obligation on the transferee (buyer) to withhold and remit tax on the gross amount realized (gross sales price). The statutory base withholding rate is 15% of the total purchase price (Formula: Tax = Amount Realized × 15%). Exemptions and reductions: (1) 0% wit Federal (United States (federal)) — Federal General Tax Lien Encumbrance: Under IRC § 6321, a statutory lien arises automatically as of the date of assessment and attaches to all real property owned or acquired by the taxpayer.
Warren County offers substantial recreational assets including Lake Ahquabi State Park, the Summerset Trail, Lake Colchester, and the National Balloon Classic in Indianola, alongside multiple regional golf courses.
The rental market remains steady with modest vacancy rates, anchored by Simpson College student rentals in Indianola and expanding multifamily suburban developments along the Highway 65/69 corridor.
Warren County's economy is anchored by higher education, healthcare, regional manufacturing, agribusiness, and suburban services, complemented by high commuter integration with the Des Moines employment base.
Primary road corridors include US Highway 65/69, Iowa Highway 5, and Iowa Highway 28, offering direct 15-to-30 minute vehicular transit into downtown Des Moines and the Des Moines International Airport; fixed-route transit is limited.
Comprehensive development plans emphasize managing suburban expansion in Norwalk, Carlisle, and Indianola while preserving agricultural and watershed lands across southern and eastern sectors.
The Warren County Assessor conducts statutory mass appraisals to estimate market values as of January 1 of assessment years, applying Iowa Department of Revenue equalization orders and statutory agricultural/residential rollback percentages.
Parcels are subject to overlapping tax jurisdictions comprising Warren County general/rural funds, local school districts (e.g., Indianola, Norwalk, Carlisle), municipal levies, community college districts (DMACC), and emergency response levies.
Residential property insurance markets face upward pricing adjustments consistent with Iowa-wide exposure to severe convective wind, derecho storms, hail, and localized surface flooding.
- Adventureland Park4.324.2 mi
- Spare Time Des Moines4.224.3 mi
- Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park4.227.6 mi
- Sky Zone Trampoline Park4.329.3 mi
- B&B Theatres Ankeny 12 & B-Roll Bowling4.528.8 mi
- Iowa State Fairgrounds4.620.1 mi
- Adventureland Park4.324.2 mi
- Casey's Center4.520.6 mi
- Iowa Events Center4.520.6 mi
- Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden4.720.8 mi
- Blank Park Zoo4.516.1 mi
- Science Center of Iowa4.420 mi
- Fort Des Moines Park4.615.6 mi
- Gray's Lake Park4.719.7 mi
- Sleepy Hollow4.319.5 mi
- Iowa State Capitol4.820.3 mi
- Science Center of Iowa4.420 mi
- Pappajohn Sculpture Park4.620.4 mi
- Des Moines Art Center4.621.2 mi
- Hoyt Sherman Place4.820.7 mi
- Fort Des Moines Park4.615.6 mi
- Easter Lake Park4.516.8 mi
- Gray's Lake Park4.719.7 mi
- Sleepy Hollow4.319.5 mi
- Yellow Banks Park4.516.9 mi
- Toad Valley Golf Course4.219.7 mi
- A.H. Blank Golf Course4.215.5 mi
- The Legacy Golf Club4.515.7 mi
- Willow Creek Golf Course418.4 mi
- Deer Run Golf Club3.45.7 mi
- The Southridge Mall3.615.7 mi
- Hy-Vee Grocery Store4.317.8 mi
- Hy-Vee Grocery Store4.217.7 mi
- Ross Dress for Less3.915.8 mi
- Hy-Vee Grocery Store4.315.9 mi
- Des Moines International Airport4.317.6 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area 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 770-acre park featuring a 115-acre lake, boating, fishing, beach, and extensive wooded trails just south of Indianola.
A 12-mile paved rail-trail corridor connecting Indianola and Carlisle through rolling prairie and wetlands.
Host site of the annual nine-day hot air balloon festival drawing regional and national visitors to Indianola.
Operated by Warren County Conservation, offering environmental education exhibits, ponds, and interpretive hiking trails.
Data retrieved from US Census Bureau 5-year American Community Survey profile for Warren County, IA.
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
≈ $9,750/yr on a $325,000 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.