Ossian, IA housing market
The typical Ossian home is worth about $282,000, up 8.7% in a year, 18% above the Iowa typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Ossian compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Ossian at a glance
Typical home value, 2019–2026
Show as a table
| January | Ossian | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $171,000 | $167,000 |
| 2021 | $184,000 | $179,000 |
| 2022 | $206,000 | $195,000 |
| 2023 | $229,000 | $211,000 |
| 2024 | $230,000 | $218,000 |
| 2025 | $247,000 | $228,000 |
| 2026 | $271,000 | $236,000 |
| August 2026 | $282,000 | $240,000 |
4 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 4 new homes in Ossian in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $1.4 million to build. Over the past 10 years, Ossian has permitted 7 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Ossian's population fell by 43 even though 4 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) | 2 | 2 | 0 | $683,000 |
| 2025 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $350,000 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $350,000 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $250,000 |
| 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 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $367,000 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $173,000 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $167,000 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $322,000 |
| 2007 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $611,000 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $259,000 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $233,000 |
| 2001 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $336,000 |
| 2000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $325,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 · figures for a place this size carry wide margins of error.
A two-bedroom rents for about $920
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Ossian is $920 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Ossian pay a median of $772, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Studio $680 · 4 bedrooms $1,330
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (52161; Fayette 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. 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.