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Buying a home in Colo, Iowa

The typical owner-occupied home in Colo is worth about $152,000, 27% below the Iowa median of $208,000 and 54% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,310 a year in property taxes, about 1.52% of their home's value, higher than the Iowa rate of 1.39%. The median household earns $64,000 a year, so the median home costs 2.4 times the median income (2.8 times for Iowa). 83% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 63% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Colo at a glance

Colo Iowa U.S.
Median home value $152,000 $208,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,310 $2,897 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.52% 1.39% 0.94%
Median household income $64,000 $75,059 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 83% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 63% 59% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,375 $1,533 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 20.9% 18.7% 21.0%
Median rent $950 $972 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 29.5% 27.4% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1959 1972 1980
Vacant homes 13.4% 8.5% 10.1%
Population 686 3,210,507 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Colo

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Colo home of $152,000 with 20% down costs about $1,074 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,327, 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 $46,023 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 20% of the median Colo household income of $64,000; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $211,000.

The median rent here is $950 a month, so owning the median home costs about $124 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$30,400
Loan amount$121,600
Principal and interest$818
Property taxes (1.52% a year)$193
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$63
PMI$0
Total per month$1,074

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$5,320
Loan amount$149,247
Principal and interest$1,004
Property taxes (1.52% a year)$193
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$63
FHA mortgage insurance$67
Total per month$1,327

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Questions about home buying in Colo

What is the median home value in Colo?

About $152,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Colo?

Homeowners pay a median $2,310 a year, which is about 1.52% 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 Colo?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,074 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $46,023 a year.

More about Colo

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