Fort Madison, IA housing market
The typical Fort Madison home is worth about $114,000, up 1.9% in a year, 52% below the Iowa typical home. Homes typically sell in 178 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Fort Madison compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Fort Madison at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.1 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Fort Madison | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $79,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $83,000 | $152,000 |
| 2019 | $88,000 | $159,000 |
| 2020 | $92,000 | $167,000 |
| 2021 | $100,000 | $179,000 |
| 2022 | $104,000 | $195,000 |
| 2023 | $110,000 | $211,000 |
| 2024 | $110,000 | $218,000 |
| 2025 | $116,000 | $228,000 |
| 2026 | $113,000 | $236,000 |
| August 2026 | $114,000 | $240,000 |
47 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 47 new homes in Fort Madison in 2025: 7 single-family houses and 40 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $3.2 million to build. That's 4.6 per 1,000 residents, about the pace of Iowa as a whole. Over the past 10 years, Fort Madison has permitted 94 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Fort Madison's population fell by 781 even though 127 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Iowa: 1.3 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 31 | 4 | 27 | $2.1 million |
| 2025 | 47 | 7 | 40 | $3.2 million |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $105,000 |
| 2023 | 6 | 2 | 4 | $560,000 |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $577,000 |
| 2021 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2020 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $375,000 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $440,000 |
| 2018 | 16 | 0 | 16 | $4 million |
| 2017 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2016 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $645,000 |
| 2015 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $535,000 |
| 2014 | 16 | 8 | 8 | $1.6 million |
| 2013 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $460,000 |
| 2012 | 4 | 0 | 4 | $520,000 |
| 2011 | 16 | 2 | 14 | $2.1 million |
| 2010 | 52 | 0 | 52 | $4.5 million |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $146,000 |
| 2008 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $500,000 |
| 2007 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $780,000 |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $75,000 |
| 2005 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $73,000 |
| 2003 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2002 | 42 | 34 | 8 | $666,000 |
| 2001 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $816,000 |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
How Fort Madison ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Fort Madison and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Madison | $114K | +1.9% | $1,000 | 47 | $50,705 |
| Nauvoo | $158K | +7.3% | $1,000 | — | $59,545 |
2.3 years of income
The typical Fort Madison home costs about 2.3 years of the town's median household income, less than across Iowa (3.2 years).
How Fort Madison ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,000
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Fort Madison is $1,000 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Fort Madison pay a median of $826, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 24% of the town's median household income.
Studio $700 · 4 bedrooms $1,390
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (52627, 52639; Lee County, IA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Fort Madison
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.