Iowa Mortgage Calculator (2026)

Rates as of Oct 22 2026 · county tax data: ACS 2020–2024, released 2026-01-29

Statewide avg. effective tax rate
1.39%
Median home value
$262,000
Home insurance (est.)
$2,000/yr

Estimated PITI at the Iowa median home price of $262,000, 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32%: $1,973/mo. The tax line uses Polk County (Des Moines)'s effective rate of 1.68% and insurance of $2,000/yr — the calculator's default county. Buyer's transfer tax: usually paid by seller (0.16%).

Payment calculator

Loan type
$
%
$52,400 cash
%
30-yr fixed base 7.32% · credit adj +0.00% → 7.32% · PMMS Oct 22 2026
Loan term
Credit score
sets local tax & insurance
Picking a county updates the local property tax rate and insurance estimate — your home price stays as entered.
Advanced — HOA & extra payments
$
$
Estimated monthly payment
$1,973.27/mo
$1,973/mo
Principal & interest$1,439.81
Property tax$366.80
Home insurance$166.67
Covers principal & interest, property tax, insurance and mortgage insurance (when it applies). HOA counts only if entered above — left blank it is $0.
Loan amount$209,600
Down payment$52,400
LTV80%
Total interest$308,730
Payoff date…
Cash to close (estimate)
Down payment$52,400
Closing costs (2%–5%)$5,240 – $13,100
Est. cash needed$57,640 – $65,500
Transfer tax: 0.16%usually paid by seller
Iowa puts the transfer tax on the seller, so it isn't part of your cash to close.
Using Polk County (Des Moines) effective rate 1.68% · insurance $2,000/yr
Amortization
Year 12
Principal paid
$37,024
Interest paid
$170,308
Still owed
$172,576
$400k$300k$200k$100k$0
08152330

All three lines are running totals since the loan started — not a breakdown of the monthly payment.

What local costs matter in Iowa?

Effective property tax rate ~1.33%, above the U.S. average
Transfer tax $0.80 per $500 (0.16%), the seller's liability under Iowa Code §428A.3
Extra homestead relief for homeowners 65 and older
Tornado and hail country — insurance runs higher
All 99 Iowa counties — property tax rates
CountyEffective tax rateProperty tax /moInsurance (est.)
Polk County (Des Moines)1.68%$$367$2,000/yr
Linn County (Cedar Rapids)1.66%$$362$1,950/yr
Scott County (Davenport)1.47%$$321$2,100/yr
Black Hawk County (Waterloo)1.5%$$328$2,050/yr
Johnson County (Iowa City)1.52%$$332$1,850/yr
Adair County1.28%$$279$2,000/yr
Adams County1.26%$$275$2,000/yr
Allamakee County1.27%$$277$2,000/yr
Appanoose County1.34%$$293$2,000/yr
Audubon County1.34%$$293$2,000/yr
Benton County1.31%$$286$2,000/yr
Boone County1.37%$$299$2,000/yr
Show all 99 counties
CountyEffective tax rateProperty tax /moInsurance (est.)
Bremer County1.29%$$282$2,000/yr
Buchanan County1.36%$$297$2,000/yr
Buena Vista County1.21%$$264$2,000/yr
Butler County1.35%$$295$2,000/yr
Calhoun County1.32%$$288$2,000/yr
Carroll County1.09%$$238$2,000/yr
Cass County1.34%$$293$2,000/yr
Cedar County1.22%$$266$2,000/yr
Cerro Gordo County1.45%$$317$2,000/yr
Cherokee County0.99%$$216$2,000/yr
Chickasaw County1.02%$$223$2,000/yr
Clarke County1.6%$$349$2,000/yr
Clay County1.15%$$251$2,000/yr
Clayton County1.29%$$282$2,000/yr
Clinton County1.53%$$334$2,000/yr
Crawford County1.28%$$279$2,000/yr
Dallas County1.41%$$308$2,000/yr
Davis County1.4%$$306$2,000/yr
Decatur County1.61%$$352$2,000/yr
Delaware County1.34%$$293$2,000/yr
Des Moines County1.51%$$330$2,000/yr
Dickinson County0.92%$$201$2,000/yr
Dubuque County1.23%$$269$2,000/yr
Emmet County1.47%$$321$2,000/yr
Fayette County1.3%$$284$2,000/yr
Floyd County1.34%$$293$2,000/yr
Franklin County1.32%$$288$2,000/yr
Fremont County1.21%$$264$2,000/yr
Greene County1.15%$$251$2,000/yr
Grundy County1.14%$$249$2,000/yr
Guthrie County1.22%$$266$2,000/yr
Hamilton County1.26%$$275$2,000/yr
Hancock County1.18%$$258$2,000/yr
Hardin County1.37%$$299$2,000/yr
Harrison County1.32%$$288$2,000/yr
Henry County1.56%$$341$2,000/yr
Howard County1.25%$$273$2,000/yr
Humboldt County1.29%$$282$2,000/yr
Ida County1.16%$$253$2,000/yr
Iowa County1.36%$$297$2,000/yr
Jackson County1.23%$$269$2,000/yr
Jasper County1.41%$$308$2,000/yr
Jefferson County1.41%$$308$2,000/yr
Jones County1.33%$$290$2,000/yr
Keokuk County1.26%$$275$2,000/yr
Kossuth County1%$$218$2,000/yr
Lee County1.38%$$301$2,000/yr
Louisa County1.17%$$255$2,000/yr
Lucas County1.37%$$299$2,000/yr
Lyon County0.87%$$190$2,000/yr
Madison County1.48%$$323$2,000/yr
Mahaska County1.32%$$288$2,000/yr
Marion County1.22%$$266$2,000/yr
Marshall County1.42%$$310$2,000/yr
Mills County1.47%$$321$2,000/yr
Mitchell County1.1%$$240$2,000/yr
Monona County1.03%$$225$2,000/yr
Monroe County1.37%$$299$2,000/yr
Montgomery County1.65%$$360$2,000/yr
Muscatine County1.5%$$328$2,000/yr
O'Brien County0.98%$$214$2,000/yr
Osceola County1.13%$$247$2,000/yr
Page County1.41%$$308$2,000/yr
Palo Alto County1.2%$$262$2,000/yr
Plymouth County1.07%$$234$2,000/yr
Pocahontas County1.13%$$247$2,000/yr
Pottawattamie County1.57%$$343$2,000/yr
Poweshiek County1.22%$$266$2,000/yr
Ringgold County1.34%$$293$2,000/yr
Sac County1.1%$$240$2,000/yr
Shelby County1.28%$$279$2,000/yr
Sioux County1.12%$$245$2,000/yr
Story County1.4%$$306$2,000/yr
Tama County1.37%$$299$2,000/yr
Taylor County1.26%$$275$2,000/yr
Union County1.8%$$393$2,000/yr
Van Buren County1.18%$$258$2,000/yr
Wapello County1.58%$$345$2,000/yr
Warren County1.43%$$312$2,000/yr
Washington County1.37%$$299$2,000/yr
Wayne County1.36%$$297$2,000/yr
Webster County1.39%$$303$2,000/yr
Winnebago County1.32%$$288$2,000/yr
Winneshiek County1.12%$$245$2,000/yr
Woodbury County1.45%$$317$2,000/yr
Worth County1.1%$$240$2,000/yr
Wright County1.51%$$330$2,000/yr
Iowa state average1.39%$$303$2,000/yr
Monthly tax is estimated on a $262,000 home — the price in the calculator above. Effective rates — U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 (5-yr).

† Rates marked with ≥ are conservative estimates. ACS suppresses median tax values above $10,001 for privacy, which makes the calculated rate a lower bound — the true rate is higher in Manhattan, parts of Long Island, northern New Jersey and other high-cost areas.

How Iowa compares

Iowa's statewide average effective rate is 1.39% — the 10th highest of the 51 covered here (the 50 states and DC), against a median of 0.8%. On the $262,000 home the calculator starts with, that is about $303 a month in property tax before any other cost. Property taxes by state ranks all 51 with median bills attached.

A state average hides the part that changes the bill. The county rows above run from 0.87% in Lyon County to 1.8% in Union County — roughly $203 a month apart on the same $262,000 home. That is why the county picker moves the payment more than the state picker does.

Insurance is the other line that follows the address: this page prices $2,000 a year as a state-level estimate, and home insurance by state covers how premiums are set and where they run highest. Below 20% down, PMI adds a third variable until the balance is back to 80% of the value.

The states nearest Iowa in the ranking are Wisconsin (1.42%) and Ohio (1.31%).

Iowa mortgage FAQ

How much down payment do I need to buy a house in Iowa?

Conventional loans start at 3% down, but anything under 20% requires PMI until you reach 20% equity — PMI auto-cancels at 78% of the original home value under the Homeowners Protection Act. FHA loans start at 3.5% down, and VA / USDA loans offer 0% down for eligible borrowers. Those are the national minimums: a lender can set a higher floor for this state or for a given loan size.

Why do property taxes vary so much within Iowa?

Property taxes are layered by county, city and school district, so the effective rate differs block by block. The Iowa state average is about 1.39%, but counties in our table above range widely — always confirm the exact bill with the local County Assessor.

When does PMI go away?

Under the Homeowners Protection Act (1998) you can request PMI removal at 80% LTV, and lenders must automatically cancel it when the balance reaches 78% of the original home value. This calculator estimates that month for you and shows the lower payment after PMI drops.

Does this calculator include home insurance for Iowa?

Yes. The calculator pre-fills a typical Iowa premium of about $2,000 per year and updates it when you switch counties. Tornadoes, hail and straight-line windstorms (the 2020 derecho was one of the state's costliest events) drive claims; river flooding needs separate coverage. Get real quotes before budgeting.

More free mortgage tools

affordability calculator — how much house can I afford →refinance calculator — break-even & savings →closing cost calculator — cash to close by state →
Sources

Freddie MacU.S. Census BureauFannie MaeU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsPrivate mortgage insurersNAICState statutes and departments of revenue

Results are estimates for planning only and are not a loan approval. Property tax rates and insurance premiums vary by county, ZIP code, home age and coverage — confirm with the local County Assessor and insurer quotes. Rate default: Freddie Mac PMMS 30-yr fixed (7.32%, Oct 22 2026); the 20-yr default is an estimate derived from the PMMS 30-yr/15-yr spread (PMMS has no 20-yr series). Conventional credit pricing adds Fannie Mae loan-level price adjustments (effective 2026-10-01) on top of that base, anchored at the 740–759 tier, and PMI comes off a credit × LTV rate card — both are central estimates, not quotes. Loan minimums shown here are the national programs' floor; a lender may set a higher down payment, rate or fee for this state or this loan.