Iowa mortgage calculator
Prefilled with Iowa’s numbers, not national averages. The effective property tax rate here is 1.40% and the average homeowners premium is about $2,500 a year. Both are already in the calculator below.
Iowa mortgage calculator
Principal and interest schedule
Tax and insurance are collected alongside the loan but are not part of it, so they are excluded here.
What Iowa actually costs a homeowner
A rollback system taxes only part of assessed value, and the percentage is recalculated statewide every year.
On the state median home value of $181,600, the property tax bill works out at roughly $2,542 a year, or $212 a month before anything else. That is above the national effective rate of 0.86% — 1.6 times the US average.
Insurance is the other half of the escrow payment. At about $2,500 a year, Iowa sits above the national average of roughly $2,400. Together, tax and insurance add around $420 a month to the loan payment on a median-priced home here.
Why your bill will differ
The figure above is a state average, and property tax is set locally. Two houses of the same value in different counties of Iowa can carry bills that differ by thousands. Check your county assessor before treating any estimate as final, and check whether a homestead exemption applies to you — in most states it does, and in several it is substantial.
Close to the national middle
Iowa’s 1.40% sits near the national effective rate of 0.86%, which makes the local variation more important than the state average. County millage does more to your bill here than the state figure suggests.
Tax and insurance are close to balanced
About $2,542 in tax against $2,500 in insurance, so neither dominates the escrow payment. Together they add roughly $420 a month before any principal or interest — the part of a housing budget that does not fall as you pay the loan down.
Stepping up from the median
At $270,000 — about half again the Iowa median — the annual tax becomes $3,780 and the escrow portion of the payment rises to roughly $523 a month. With 20% down at 6.5% over thirty years, the all-in payment is about $1,889.
Low values, and what that does to fees
With a median home value of $181,600, fixed closing costs weigh more heavily. An $1,800 appraisal-and-title package is 1.0% of a median purchase here against roughly 0.5% in the most expensive states, so shopping the fee sheet matters as much as shopping the rate.
Comparison with neighbouring states
Iowa and its neighbours
| State | Effective rate | Median home value | Median tax bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 1.40% | $181,600 | $2,542 |
| Wisconsin | 1.51% | $231,400 | $3,494 |
| Ohio | 1.41% | $199,200 | $2,809 |
| Rhode Island | 1.37% | $368,800 | $5,053 |
| Pennsylvania | 1.36% | $241,500 | $3,284 |
Effective rate is median real-estate tax paid divided by median home value. Insurance figures are broad state averages and move quickly, especially on the Gulf coast. Both are estimates for orientation, not quotes.
Tax and insurance by price in Iowa
| Home price | Annual tax | Tax / mo | Insurance / mo | Escrow / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $2,100 | $175 | $208 | $383 |
| $250,000 | $3,500 | $292 | $208 | $500 |
| $350,000 | $4,900 | $408 | $208 | $617 |
| $500,000 | $7,000 | $583 | $208 | $792 |
| $750,000 | $10,500 | $875 | $208 | $1,083 |
Property tax at the Iowa effective rate of 1.40%. Insurance held at the state average, which understates it on larger homes.
Guides that explain this
Written with the same engine, so every figure agrees with the calculator.
The first-time buyer's mortgage guideWhat lenders really check, how much deposit you need, every closing cost itemised, and why your payment jumps in year two.12 min read
APR vs interest rate: what actually separates themWhat separates APR from the interest rate, which fees are included, and why APR quietly flatters a loan you will not keep for its full term.8 min read
How your credit score sets your interest rateWhat a credit score is built from, how score bands translate into real rate differences and dollars, and which actions move a score quickly versus slowly.10 min read
Questions people actually ask
What is the property tax rate in Iowa?
The effective rate is about 1.40%, measured as median real-estate tax paid divided by median home value. On the state median home value of $181,600 that is roughly $2,542 a year. Local rates vary considerably within the state.
How much is homeowners insurance in Iowa?
The state average runs around $2,500 a year, above the national average of roughly $2,400. Premiums vary widely by construction, claims history and distance from the coast.
What is the monthly payment on a median-priced home in Iowa?
With 20% down on the $181,600 median value at 6.5% over 30 years, principal and interest come to about $920 a month, plus roughly $420 for tax and insurance.