Rock Rapids, IA housing market
The typical Rock Rapids home is worth about $266,000, up 10.3% in a year, 11% above the Iowa typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Rock Rapids compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Rock Rapids at a glance
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Rock Rapids | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $135,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $143,000 | $152,000 |
| 2019 | $160,000 | $159,000 |
| 2020 | $165,000 | $167,000 |
| 2021 | $177,000 | $179,000 |
| 2022 | $192,000 | $195,000 |
| 2023 | $208,000 | $211,000 |
| 2024 | $212,000 | $218,000 |
| 2025 | $232,000 | $228,000 |
| 2026 | $254,000 | $236,000 |
| August 2026 | $266,000 | $240,000 |
10 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 10 new homes in Rock Rapids in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $4.4 million to build. That's 3.8 per 1,000 residents, about the pace of Iowa as a whole. Over the past 10 years, Rock Rapids has permitted 97 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Rock Rapids gained 62 residents while 82 new homes were permitted: about 0.8 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes 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) | 7 | 7 | 0 | $3.6 million |
| 2025 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $4.4 million |
| 2024 | 27 | 27 | 0 | $10.7 million |
| 2023 | 6 | 4 | 2 | $1.8 million |
| 2022 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2021 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2020 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2019 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2018 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2017 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2016 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2015 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| 2014 | 24 | 16 | 8 | $3 million |
| 2013 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2012 | 16 | 12 | 4 | $2.8 million |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $550,000 |
| 2009 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $707,000 |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $478,000 |
| 2007 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $660,000 |
| 2006 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2005 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $885,000 |
| 2004 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2003 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $785,000 |
| 2002 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $600,000 |
| 2001 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $280,000 |
| 2000 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $600,000 |
How Rock Rapids 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.
4.2 years of income
The typical Rock Rapids home costs about 4.2 years of the town's median household income, more than across Iowa (3.2 years).
How Rock Rapids 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 $920
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Rock Rapids is $920 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Rock Rapids pay a median of $812, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 17% of the town's median household income.
Studio $680 · 4 bedrooms $1,220
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (51246; Lyon 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 Rock Rapids
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.