The typical owner-occupied home in Dows is worth about $59,800, 71% below the Iowa median of $208,000 and 82% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,119 a year in property taxes, about 1.87% of their home's value, higher than the Iowa rate of 1.39%. The median household earns $78,000 a year, so the median home costs 0.8 times the median income (2.8 times for Iowa). 75% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 47% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Dows at a glance
| Dows | Iowa | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $59,800 | $208,000 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $1,119 | $2,897 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 1.87% | 1.39% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 75% | 72% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 47% | 59% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $964 | $1,533 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 10.9% | 18.7% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $695 | $972 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 11.4% | 27.4% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1938 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 10.8% | 8.5% | 10.1% |
| Population | 562 | 3,210,507 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Dows
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Dows home of $59,800 with 20% down costs about $440 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $540, 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 $18,854 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 7% of the median Dows household income of $78,000; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $247,000.
The median rent here is $695 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.
| Down payment | $11,960 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $47,840 |
| Principal and interest | $322 |
| Property taxes (1.87% a year) | $93 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $25 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $440 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $2,093 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $58,717 |
| Principal and interest | $395 |
| Property taxes (1.87% a year) | $93 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $25 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $26 |
| Total per month | $540 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Dows
What is the median home value in Dows?
About $59,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Dows?
Homeowners pay a median $1,119 a year, which is about 1.87% 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 Dows?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $440 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $18,854 a year.
More about Dows
- Mortgage Refinance in Dows
- Debt Relief in Dows
- Home Equity Loans in Dows
- 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