The typical owner-occupied home in Fort Madison is worth about $94,200, 55% below the Iowa median of $208,000 and 72% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,420 a year in property taxes, about 1.51% of their home's value, higher than the Iowa rate of 1.39%. The median household earns $50,705 a year, so the median home costs 1.9 times the median income (2.8 times for Iowa). 72% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 58% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Fort Madison at a glance
| Fort Madison | Iowa | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $94,200 | $208,000 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $1,420 | $2,897 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 1.51% | 1.39% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $50,705 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 72% | 72% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 58% | 59% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,021 | $1,533 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 19.9% | 18.7% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $826 | $972 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 30.6% | 27.4% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1952 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 9.6% | 8.5% | 10.1% |
| Population | 10,133 | 3,210,507 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Fort Madison
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Fort Madison home of $94,200 with 20% down costs about $665 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $822, 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 $28,489 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 16% of the median Fort Madison household income of $50,705; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $168,000.
The median rent here is $826 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.
| Down payment | $18,840 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $75,360 |
| Principal and interest | $507 |
| Property taxes (1.51% a year) | $119 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $39 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $665 |
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| Down payment | $3,297 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $92,494 |
| Principal and interest | $622 |
| Property taxes (1.51% a year) | $119 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $39 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $42 |
| Total per month | $822 |
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Questions about home buying in Fort Madison
What is the median home value in Fort Madison?
About $94,200 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Fort Madison?
Homeowners pay a median $1,420 a year, which is about 1.51% 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 Fort Madison?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $665 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $28,489 a year.
More about Fort Madison
- Mortgage Refinance in Fort Madison
- Debt Relief in Fort Madison
- Home Equity Loans in Fort Madison
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
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