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Buying a home in Saint Olaf, Iowa

The typical owner-occupied home in Saint Olaf is worth about $84,000, 60% below the Iowa median of $208,000 and 75% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,313 a year in property taxes, about 1.56% of their home's value, higher than the Iowa rate of 1.39%. The median household earns $98,125 a year, so the median home costs 0.9 times the median income (2.8 times for Iowa). 77% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 37% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Saint Olaf at a glance

Saint Olaf Iowa U.S.
Median home value $84,000 $208,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,313 $2,897 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.56% 1.39% 0.94%
Median household income $98,125 $75,059 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 77% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 37% 59% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,156 $1,533 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 17.9% 18.7% 21.0%
Median rent $775 $972 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 31.3% 27.4% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1938 1972 1980
Vacant homes 15.2% 8.5% 10.1%
Population 76 3,210,507 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Saint Olaf

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Saint Olaf home of $84,000 with 20% down costs about $596 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $736, 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 $25,554 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 7% of the median Saint Olaf household income of $98,125; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $323,000.

The median rent here is $775 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$16,800
Loan amount$67,200
Principal and interest$452
Property taxes (1.56% a year)$109
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$35
PMI$0
Total per month$596

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$2,940
Loan amount$82,479
Principal and interest$555
Property taxes (1.56% a year)$109
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$35
FHA mortgage insurance$37
Total per month$736

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Questions about home buying in Saint Olaf

What is the median home value in Saint Olaf?

About $84,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Saint Olaf?

Homeowners pay a median $1,313 a year, which is about 1.56% 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 Saint Olaf?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $596 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $25,554 a year.

More about Saint Olaf

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