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Buying a home in Iola, Texas

The typical owner-occupied home in Iola is worth about $133,300, 53% below the Texas median of $283,800 and 60% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,292 a year in property taxes, about 0.97% of their home's value, lower than the Texas rate of 1.49%. The median household earns $50,000 a year, so the median home costs 2.7 times the median income (3.6 times for Texas). 75% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 34% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Iola at a glance

Iola Texas U.S.
Median home value $133,300 $283,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,292 $4,232 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.97% 1.49% 0.94%
Median household income $50,000 $78,476 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 75% 63% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 34% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $960 $2,106 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.0% 21.7% 21.0%
Median rent $735 $1,403 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 39.7% 30.9% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1987 1992 1980
Vacant homes 19.1% 9.4% 10.1%
Population 372 30,188,424 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Iola

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Iola home of $133,300 with 20% down costs about $881 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,103, 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 $37,743 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 21% of the median Iola household income of $50,000; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $177,000.

The median rent here is $735 a month, so owning the median home costs about $146 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$26,660
Loan amount$106,640
Principal and interest$717
Property taxes (0.97% a year)$108
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$56
PMI$0
Total per month$881

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$4,666
Loan amount$130,886
Principal and interest$880
Property taxes (0.97% a year)$108
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$56
FHA mortgage insurance$59
Total per month$1,103

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Questions about home buying in Iola

What is the median home value in Iola?

About $133,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Iola?

Homeowners pay a median $1,292 a year, which is about 0.97% 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 Iola?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $881 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $37,743 a year.

More about Iola

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