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Buying a home in Brandon, Iowa

The typical owner-occupied home in Brandon is worth about $113,800, 45% below the Iowa median of $208,000 and 66% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,288 a year in property taxes, about 1.13% of their home's value, lower than the Iowa rate of 1.39%. The median household earns $61,250 a year, so the median home costs 1.9 times the median income (2.8 times for Iowa). 60% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 47% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Brandon at a glance

Brandon Iowa U.S.
Median home value $113,800 $208,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,288 $2,897 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.13% 1.39% 0.94%
Median household income $61,250 $75,059 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 60% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 47% 59% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,278 $1,533 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.4% 18.7% 21.0%
Median rent $1,046 $972 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 20.0% 27.4% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1964 1972 1980
Vacant homes 3.4% 8.5% 10.1%
Population 307 3,210,507 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Brandon

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Brandon home of $113,800 with 20% down costs about $767 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $957, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $32,872 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 15% of the median Brandon household income of $61,250; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $212,000.

The median rent here is $1,046 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$22,760
Loan amount$91,040
Principal and interest$612
Property taxes (1.13% a year)$107
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$47
PMI$0
Total per month$767

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,983
Loan amount$111,739
Principal and interest$752
Property taxes (1.13% a year)$107
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$47
FHA mortgage insurance$50
Total per month$957

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Questions about home buying in Brandon

What is the median home value in Brandon?

About $113,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Brandon?

Homeowners pay a median $1,288 a year, which is about 1.13% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Brandon?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $767 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $32,872 a year.

More about Brandon

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data