Marathon, IA housing market
The typical Marathon home is worth about $99,000, up 2.8% in a year, 59% below the Iowa typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Marathon compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Marathon at a glance
Only 1 sale in April 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value above is the steadier guide.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Marathon | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $51,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $51,000 | $152,000 |
| 2019 | $70,000 | $159,000 |
| 2020 | $73,000 | $167,000 |
| 2021 | $81,000 | $179,000 |
| 2022 | $82,000 | $195,000 |
| 2023 | $90,000 | $211,000 |
| 2024 | $102,000 | $218,000 |
| 2025 | $95,000 | $228,000 |
| 2026 | $96,000 | $236,000 |
| August 2026 | $99,000 | $240,000 |
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Marathon in 2025 or in any year since 2013.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,080
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Marathon is $1,080 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs.
Studio $820 · 4 bedrooms $1,430
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (50565; Buena Vista 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.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, April 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.