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Buying a home in Oelwein, Iowa

The typical owner-occupied home in Oelwein is worth about $96,300, 54% below the Iowa median of $208,000 and 71% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,565 a year in property taxes, about 1.63% of their home's value, higher than the Iowa rate of 1.39%. The median household earns $46,653 a year, so the median home costs 2.1 times the median income (2.8 times for Iowa). 77% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 55% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Oelwein at a glance

Oelwein Iowa U.S.
Median home value $96,300 $208,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,565 $2,897 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.63% 1.39% 0.94%
Median household income $46,653 $75,059 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 77% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 55% 59% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,148 $1,533 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 23.1% 18.7% 21.0%
Median rent $847 $972 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 33.8% 27.4% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1950 1972 1980
Vacant homes 9.5% 8.5% 10.1%
Population 5,834 3,210,507 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Oelwein

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Oelwein home of $96,300 with 20% down costs about $689 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $850, 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 $29,536 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 18% of the median Oelwein household income of $46,653; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $152,000.

The median rent here is $847 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$19,260
Loan amount$77,040
Principal and interest$518
Property taxes (1.63% a year)$131
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$40
PMI$0
Total per month$689

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,370
Loan amount$94,556
Principal and interest$636
Property taxes (1.63% a year)$131
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$40
FHA mortgage insurance$43
Total per month$850

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Questions about home buying in Oelwein

What is the median home value in Oelwein?

About $96,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Oelwein?

Homeowners pay a median $1,565 a year, which is about 1.63% 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 Oelwein?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $689 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $29,536 a year.

More about Oelwein

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