Appreciation Velocity — Iowa Cities
Cities of Iowa ranked by 1Y / 3Y / 5Y home-price appreciation.
Public Record
Top 10 — 1Y appreciation (Citys)
#1 · Rock Valley, IA
+1,869.7%
#2 · Edgewood, IA
+1,788.5%
#3 · Batavia, IA
+1,700.0%
#4 · Ellston, IA
+1,624.6%
#5 · Thompson, IA
+1,078.2%
#6 · Oxford, IA
+868.8%
#7 · Council Bluffs, IA
+373.7%
#8 · Denver, IA
+361.4%
#9 · Rathbun, IA
+355.6%
#10 · Springville, IA
+327.3%
City ranking — 1Y appreciation (highest first)
| # | City | State | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Current median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rock Valley, IA | IA | +1,869.7% | — | +333.3% | +412.8% | $650K |
| 2 | Edgewood, IA | IA | +1,788.5% | — | +655.4% | +1,069.0% | $491K |
| 3 | Batavia, IA | IA | +1,700.0% | +168.7% | -1.8% | +190.3% | $180K |
| 4 | Ellston, IA | IA | +1,624.6% | +31.2% | +77.0% | +86.9% | $440.3K |
| 5 | Thompson, IA | IA | +1,078.2% | — | +513.3% | — | $460K |
| 6 | Oxford, IA | IA | +868.8% | +0.6% | +23.0% | +342.9% | $310K |
| 7 | Council Bluffs, IA | IA | +373.7% | +529.7% | +602.6% | +773.1% | $1.14M |
| 8 | Denver, IA | IA | +361.4% | +182.3% | +112.9% | +161.9% | $437.5K |
| 9 | Rathbun, IA | IA | +355.6% | — | — | — | $205K |
| 10 | Springville, IA | IA | +327.3% | +211.5% | +261.8% | +917.3% | $864.7K |
| 11 | Calamus, IA | IA | +293.0% | — | +201.0% | +386.4% | $899.9K |
| 12 | Grinnell, IA | IA | +266.0% | +353.0% | +412.7% | +555.9% | $825.7K |
| 13 | Wellsburg, IA | IA | +262.9% | — | — | +173.3% | $154.3K |
| 14 | Monona, IA | IA | +245.4% | +180.5% | +559.6% | — | $310K |
| 15 | Mitchellville, IA | IA | +228.1% | — | +329.8% | +698.4% | $1.04M |
| 16 | Ruthven, IA | IA | +222.1% | +13.3% | +66.7% | +422.9% | $470K |
| 17 | Shenandoah, IA | IA | +179.2% | +190.2% | +539.6% | +379.9% | $379K |
| 18 | Clarion, IA | IA | +164.7% | +32.3% | +170.7% | +107.9% | $198.5K |
| 19 | Fort Dodge, IA | IA | +148.3% | +247.2% | +213.6% | +272.8% | $402.1K |
| 20 | Badger, IA | IA | +118.9% | +163.4% | — | +145.8% | $295K |
| 21 | Lone Tree, IA | IA | +118.8% | +24.1% | +214.0% | +444.7% | $350K |
| 22 | Parkersburg, IA | IA | +102.5% | +131.7% | +9.1% | +569.0% | $267.6K |
| 23 | Central City, IA | IA | +99.2% | — | +3,121.4% | — | $451K |
| 24 | Lake Park, IA | IA | +96.7% | +0.3% | +203.0% | +395.1% | $501.7K |
| 25 | Clear Lake, IA | IA | +95.5% | +124.3% | +179.4% | +274.7% | $759.8K |
| 26 | Milford, IA | IA | +94.4% | +6.2% | +163.9% | +83.7% | $432.5K |
| 27 | Stratford, IA | IA | +94.3% | -12.5% | +86.1% | — | $233.2K |
| 28 | State Center, IA | IA | +94.1% | — | +111.3% | +163.2% | $365K |
| 29 | Centerville, IA | IA | +84.4% | +77.8% | -5.3% | +413.7% | $213.3K |
| 30 | Maxwell, IA | IA | +84.0% | — | +41.6% | +139.2% | $269K |
| 31 | New Hartford, IA | IA | +82.9% | -24.1% | +85.7% | +778.4% | $325K |
| 32 | Colfax, IA | IA | +82.8% | +24.5% | +81.4% | +214.8% | $253.8K |
| 33 | Lenox, IA | IA | +79.1% | +46.1% | +27.5% | +581.7% | $204.5K |
| 34 | Lamoni, IA | IA | +78.4% | +4.2% | +76.5% | +282.4% | $200.3K |
| 35 | Lowden, IA | IA | +78.3% | — | +42.7% | +25.1% | $107K |
| 36 | Deep River, IA | IA | +76.3% | — | — | +149.6% | $297K |
| 37 | West Burlington, IA | IA | +72.5% | +49.7% | +66.3% | +63.5% | $205.5K |
| 38 | Osage, IA | IA | +72.3% | +235.2% | +172.3% | +42.9% | $300K |
| 39 | New Virginia, IA | IA | +69.0% | — | +40.5% | +211.7% | $425K |
| 40 | Lacona, IA | IA | +67.1% | +97.7% | +37.7% | — | $350K |
| 41 | Akron, IA | IA | +65.9% | +94.2% | +147.7% | — | $279K |
| 42 | Charles City, IA | IA | +64.5% | -8.9% | +139.9% | +160.7% | $241K |
| 43 | Wall Lake, IA | IA | +62.2% | — | +49.2% | +6.7% | $146K |
| 44 | Nashua, IA | IA | +58.2% | +365.1% | +70.7% | +225.0% | $269.8K |
| 45 | Conrad, IA | IA | +55.4% | -12.1% | +270.5% | +86.5% | $307.5K |
| 46 | Corydon, IA | IA | +54.6% | — | -6.2% | +107.1% | $205K |
| 47 | Lynnville, IA | IA | +53.6% | — | +17.0% | +108.6% | $302.5K |
| 48 | Brighton, IA | IA | +53.5% | — | +24.7% | +291.6% | $153K |
| 49 | Elk Run Heights, IA | IA | +53.2% | — | +130.3% | +52.0% | $190K |
| 50 | Robins, IA | IA | +52.7% | +517.6% | +32.5% | +124.2% | $525K |
| 51 | Vinton, IA | IA | +51.3% | +12.9% | +67.4% | +145.1% | $206.8K |
| 52 | Agency, IA | IA | +48.8% | +62.1% | +127.0% | +991.5% | $271.5K |
| 53 | Saint Ansgar, IA | IA | +48.7% | +140.1% | — | — | $278.5K |
| 54 | Elkhart, IA | IA | +48.2% | -29.5% | +14.5% | +210.3% | $315K |
| 55 | Cedar Falls, IA | IA | +47.8% | +229.2% | +75.9% | +147.4% | $460.2K |
| 56 | Holland, IA | IA | +45.1% | — | — | — | $138K |
| 57 | Washburn, IA | IA | +43.8% | — | — | +169.5% | $223K |
| 58 | Glenwood, IA | IA | +41.0% | — | +154.1% | +4.5% | $309.5K |
| 59 | Kelley, IA | IA | +40.0% | — | -5.7% | — | $133K |
| 60 | Wheatland, IA | IA | +38.2% | — | +52.8% | — | $159K |
| 61 | Spirit Lake, IA | IA | +36.8% | +15.5% | +65.5% | +176.6% | $640.7K |
| 62 | Stuart, IA | IA | +36.3% | — | +140.5% | +92.5% | $307.5K |
| 63 | Prairie City, IA | IA | +35.8% | +127.9% | +98.2% | +168.7% | $359.3K |
| 64 | Bondurant, IA | IA | +35.2% | +61.2% | +73.0% | +137.6% | $421.6K |
| 65 | Williamsburg, IA | IA | +35.1% | -33.0% | -1.1% | — | $185K |
| 66 | Sigourney, IA | IA | +35.0% | +73.3% | +70.9% | +133.9% | $206.3K |
| 67 | Albia, IA | IA | +33.8% | +52.0% | -4.4% | +301.0% | $245K |
| 68 | Red Oak, IA | IA | +33.2% | -5.0% | +23.7% | +157.3% | $210.2K |
| 69 | Harlan, IA | IA | +33.0% | +82.5% | +76.8% | +64.4% | $240K |
| 70 | Jefferson, IA | IA | +32.1% | +33.9% | +75.5% | -14.2% | $200K |
| 71 | Traer, IA | IA | +31.1% | +27.0% | +83.8% | — | $209.5K |
| 72 | Eagle Grove, IA | IA | +30.3% | — | +217.6% | +210.8% | $190K |
| 73 | Waterloo, IA | IA | +29.6% | -29.0% | +46.9% | +55.8% | $202.8K |
| 74 | West Branch, IA | IA | +29.1% | +29.2% | +50.7% | +101.5% | $303.5K |
| 75 | Melcher Dallas, IA | IA | +26.4% | +50.4% | +89.3% | +147.6% | $177K |
| 76 | Walford, IA | IA | +25.9% | — | +413.3% | — | $385K |
| 77 | Monticello, IA | IA | +24.3% | -76.0% | +15.5% | -34.8% | $194K |
| 78 | Fairfield, IA | IA | +23.7% | +39.4% | +25.1% | +58.5% | $240.7K |
| 79 | Huxley, IA | IA | +23.7% | +56.6% | +73.6% | +161.7% | $412.4K |
| 80 | Atlantic, IA | IA | +23.3% | +64.4% | +34.8% | +80.3% | $202.8K |
| 81 | West Des Moines, IA | IA | +21.9% | +73.1% | +74.7% | +138.9% | $491.7K |
| 82 | Crawfordsville, IA | IA | +21.8% | — | +65.6% | — | $159K |
| 83 | Indianola, IA | IA | +21.1% | +80.9% | +145.2% | +193.8% | $467.9K |
| 84 | Oskaloosa, IA | IA | +20.0% | +15.9% | +22.3% | +56.7% | $201.3K |
| 85 | Bellevue, IA | IA | +19.1% | +685.7% | — | +195.6% | $385K |
| 86 | Manchester, IA | IA | +18.7% | +420.5% | +194.7% | -90.1% | $317.5K |
| 87 | Earlham, IA | IA | +17.6% | -11.7% | -48.3% | +159.4% | $309.2K |
| 88 | Montezuma, IA | IA | +17.5% | -70.2% | -48.4% | -5.8% | $139.9K |
| 89 | Audubon, IA | IA | +17.0% | +40.9% | +163.0% | +104.5% | $170K |
| 90 | Le Mars, IA | IA | +16.4% | +3.3% | +119.0% | +145.4% | $355K |
| 91 | North English, IA | IA | +14.9% | — | +356.7% | +158.1% | $193.3K |
| 92 | Strawberry Point, IA | IA | +14.0% | -66.3% | +113.7% | +132.6% | $162.5K |
| 93 | Asbury, IA | IA | +14.0% | — | +54.1% | — | $530K |
| 94 | Griswold, IA | IA | +11.6% | — | +81.1% | — | $240K |
| 95 | Mount Vernon, IA | IA | +10.8% | +11.6% | -8.3% | +36.5% | $300K |
| 96 | Clive, IA | IA | +10.7% | +55.0% | +57.1% | +102.5% | $510.7K |
| 97 | Fairfax, IA | IA | +10.4% | +54.0% | +104.0% | +248.8% | $466K |
| 98 | Winterset, IA | IA | +9.4% | +38.8% | +42.3% | +61.8% | $284.3K |
| 99 | Perry, IA | IA | +8.8% | -27.3% | +16.9% | +143.8% | $196.3K |
| 100 | Bettendorf, IA | IA | +8.3% | +42.3% | +56.3% | +48.0% | $390.7K |
How to read these numbers
Velocity vs. level
A market with 25% one-year appreciation is moving fast — but a market with steady 6% over ten years has compounded much further. Use 10Y as the long-run signal, 1Y as the momentum signal.
Mean-reversion risk
Markets that posted huge 1Y and 3Y gains often cool over the next cycle. Compare 1Y to 5Y: if 1Y is far above 5Y, the trend is accelerating; if far below, it is decelerating — often the more important signal.
Sample sanity
We require a minimum current median price (default $50K) to filter out tiny ZIPs with noisy data. Raise that threshold for serious investment markets; lower it to find emerging niches. Source: public record.