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Buying a home in Otho, Iowa

The typical owner-occupied home in Otho is worth about $89,900, 57% below the Iowa median of $208,000 and 73% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,243 a year in property taxes, about 1.38% of their home's value, close to the Iowa rate of 1.39%. The median household earns $43,482 a year, so the median home costs 2.1 times the median income (2.8 times for Iowa). 73% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 47% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Otho at a glance

Otho Iowa U.S.
Median home value $89,900 $208,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,243 $2,897 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.38% 1.39% 0.94%
Median household income $43,482 $75,059 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 73% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 47% 59% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,044 $1,533 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 22.5% 18.7% 21.0%
Median rent $665 $972 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 29.2% 27.4% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1963 1972 1980
Vacant homes 4.1% 8.5% 10.1%
Population 380 3,210,507 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Otho

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Otho home of $89,900 with 20% down costs about $625 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $774, 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 $26,771 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 17% of the median Otho household income of $43,482; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $146,000.

The median rent here is $665 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$17,980
Loan amount$71,920
Principal and interest$484
Property taxes (1.38% a year)$103
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$37
PMI$0
Total per month$625

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,146
Loan amount$88,272
Principal and interest$594
Property taxes (1.38% a year)$103
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$37
FHA mortgage insurance$40
Total per month$774

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Questions about home buying in Otho

What is the median home value in Otho?

About $89,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Otho?

Homeowners pay a median $1,243 a year, which is about 1.38% 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 Otho?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $625 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $26,771 a year.

More about Otho

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