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Buying a home in Garwin, Iowa

The typical owner-occupied home in Garwin is worth about $87,600, 58% below the Iowa median of $208,000 and 74% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,380 a year in property taxes, about 1.58% of their home's value, higher than the Iowa rate of 1.39%. The median household earns $55,714 a year, so the median home costs 1.6 times the median income (2.8 times for Iowa). 82% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 64% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Garwin at a glance

Garwin Iowa U.S.
Median home value $87,600 $208,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,380 $2,897 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.58% 1.39% 0.94%
Median household income $55,714 $75,059 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 82% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 64% 59% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,082 $1,533 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.2% 18.7% 21.0%
Median rent $750 $972 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 25.5% 27.4% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1950 1972 1980
Vacant homes 7.5% 8.5% 10.1%
Population 571 3,210,507 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Garwin

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Garwin home of $87,600 with 20% down costs about $623 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $769, 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 $26,712 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 13% of the median Garwin household income of $55,714; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $183,000.

The median rent here is $750 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$17,520
Loan amount$70,080
Principal and interest$471
Property taxes (1.58% a year)$115
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$36
PMI$0
Total per month$623

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,066
Loan amount$86,013
Principal and interest$579
Property taxes (1.58% a year)$115
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$36
FHA mortgage insurance$39
Total per month$769

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Questions about home buying in Garwin

What is the median home value in Garwin?

About $87,600 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Garwin?

Homeowners pay a median $1,380 a year, which is about 1.58% 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 Garwin?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $623 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $26,712 a year.

More about Garwin

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