Appreciation Velocity — Iowa Cities
Cities of Iowa ranked by 1Y / 3Y / 5Y home-price appreciation.
Public Record
Top 10 — 3Y appreciation (Citys)
#1 · Bellevue, IA
+685.7%
#2 · Council Bluffs, IA
+529.7%
#3 · Robins, IA
+517.6%
#4 · Guttenberg, IA
+420.5%
#5 · Manchester, IA
+420.5%
#6 · Nashua, IA
+365.1%
#7 · Grinnell, IA
+353.0%
#8 · Fort Dodge, IA
+247.2%
#9 · Osage, IA
+235.2%
#10 · Kensett, IA
+233.3%
City ranking — 3Y appreciation (highest first)
| # | City | State | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Current median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bellevue, IA | IA | +19.1% | +685.7% | — | +195.6% | $385K |
| 2 | Council Bluffs, IA | IA | +373.7% | +529.7% | +602.6% | +773.1% | $1.14M |
| 3 | Robins, IA | IA | +52.7% | +517.6% | +32.5% | +124.2% | $525K |
| 4 | Guttenberg, IA | IA | -39.6% | +420.5% | +6.6% | +78.5% | $190K |
| 5 | Manchester, IA | IA | +18.7% | +420.5% | +194.7% | -90.1% | $317.5K |
| 6 | Nashua, IA | IA | +58.2% | +365.1% | +70.7% | +225.0% | $269.8K |
| 7 | Grinnell, IA | IA | +266.0% | +353.0% | +412.7% | +555.9% | $825.7K |
| 8 | Fort Dodge, IA | IA | +148.3% | +247.2% | +213.6% | +272.8% | $402.1K |
| 9 | Osage, IA | IA | +72.3% | +235.2% | +172.3% | +42.9% | $300K |
| 10 | Kensett, IA | IA | -30.2% | +233.3% | +68.5% | — | $150K |
| 11 | Cumming, IA | IA | +3.7% | +232.4% | +24.1% | +972.1% | $590K |
| 12 | Cedar Falls, IA | IA | +47.8% | +229.2% | +75.9% | +147.4% | $460.2K |
| 13 | Springville, IA | IA | +327.3% | +211.5% | +261.8% | +917.3% | $864.7K |
| 14 | Story City, IA | IA | -19.6% | +199.8% | +93.2% | +80.0% | $261K |
| 15 | Shenandoah, IA | IA | +179.2% | +190.2% | +539.6% | +379.9% | $379K |
| 16 | Denver, IA | IA | +361.4% | +182.3% | +112.9% | +161.9% | $437.5K |
| 17 | Monona, IA | IA | +245.4% | +180.5% | +559.6% | — | $310K |
| 18 | Batavia, IA | IA | +1,700.0% | +168.7% | -1.8% | +190.3% | $180K |
| 19 | Badger, IA | IA | +118.9% | +163.4% | — | +145.8% | $295K |
| 20 | Creston, IA | IA | -7.4% | +155.5% | -9.8% | +71.2% | $165.3K |
| 21 | Shellsburg, IA | IA | -76.9% | +152.6% | -49.9% | -36.8% | $96K |
| 22 | Ackley, IA | IA | -12.5% | +150.4% | +113.7% | +162.5% | $249K |
| 23 | Saint Ansgar, IA | IA | +48.7% | +140.1% | — | — | $278.5K |
| 24 | Parkersburg, IA | IA | +102.5% | +131.7% | +9.1% | +569.0% | $267.6K |
| 25 | Prairie City, IA | IA | +35.8% | +127.9% | +98.2% | +168.7% | $359.3K |
| 26 | Clear Lake, IA | IA | +95.5% | +124.3% | +179.4% | +274.7% | $759.8K |
| 27 | Chariton, IA | IA | -28.5% | +110.2% | +5.4% | +214.2% | $162K |
| 28 | Marion, IA | IA | -2.4% | +104.4% | +50.8% | +70.5% | $317.8K |
| 29 | Lacona, IA | IA | +67.1% | +97.7% | +37.7% | — | $350K |
| 30 | Akron, IA | IA | +65.9% | +94.2% | +147.7% | — | $279K |
| 31 | Davenport, IA | IA | +7.2% | +92.8% | +59.2% | +89.2% | $275.9K |
| 32 | Harlan, IA | IA | +33.0% | +82.5% | +76.8% | +64.4% | $240K |
| 33 | Indianola, IA | IA | +21.1% | +80.9% | +145.2% | +193.8% | $467.9K |
| 34 | Centerville, IA | IA | +84.4% | +77.8% | -5.3% | +413.7% | $213.3K |
| 35 | Boone, IA | IA | -13.9% | +75.9% | +62.6% | +66.9% | $210.8K |
| 36 | Sigourney, IA | IA | +35.0% | +73.3% | +70.9% | +133.9% | $206.3K |
| 37 | West Des Moines, IA | IA | +21.9% | +73.1% | +74.7% | +138.9% | $491.7K |
| 38 | Center Point, IA | IA | -11.7% | +65.5% | -44.0% | +38.5% | $200K |
| 39 | Atlantic, IA | IA | +23.3% | +64.4% | +34.8% | +80.3% | $202.8K |
| 40 | Agency, IA | IA | +48.8% | +62.1% | +127.0% | +991.5% | $271.5K |
| 41 | Bondurant, IA | IA | +35.2% | +61.2% | +73.0% | +137.6% | $421.6K |
| 42 | Manson, IA | IA | — | +60.8% | +276.3% | — | $265.3K |
| 43 | Huxley, IA | IA | +23.7% | +56.6% | +73.6% | +161.7% | $412.4K |
| 44 | Granger, IA | IA | -28.2% | +56.3% | +111.7% | +64.4% | $377.5K |
| 45 | Clive, IA | IA | +10.7% | +55.0% | +57.1% | +102.5% | $510.7K |
| 46 | Reinbeck, IA | IA | -45.8% | +54.7% | +0.4% | -25.1% | $138.5K |
| 47 | Fairfax, IA | IA | +10.4% | +54.0% | +104.0% | +248.8% | $466K |
| 48 | Albia, IA | IA | +33.8% | +52.0% | -4.4% | +301.0% | $245K |
| 49 | Melcher Dallas, IA | IA | +26.4% | +50.4% | +89.3% | +147.6% | $177K |
| 50 | West Burlington, IA | IA | +72.5% | +49.7% | +66.3% | +63.5% | $205.5K |
| 51 | Yale, IA | IA | — | +48.1% | — | — | $77K |
| 52 | Roland, IA | IA | -20.2% | +46.2% | +66.2% | +68.2% | $288.7K |
| 53 | Lenox, IA | IA | +79.1% | +46.1% | +27.5% | +581.7% | $204.5K |
| 54 | Eldridge, IA | IA | -48.7% | +42.4% | -5.1% | -0.3% | $208K |
| 55 | Bettendorf, IA | IA | +8.3% | +42.3% | +56.3% | +48.0% | $390.7K |
| 56 | Audubon, IA | IA | +17.0% | +40.9% | +163.0% | +104.5% | $170K |
| 57 | Fairfield, IA | IA | +23.7% | +39.4% | +25.1% | +58.5% | $240.7K |
| 58 | Ames, IA | IA | -16.5% | +39.1% | +16.9% | +18.3% | $294K |
| 59 | Winterset, IA | IA | +9.4% | +38.8% | +42.3% | +61.8% | $284.3K |
| 60 | Pella, IA | IA | -11.5% | +35.7% | +63.9% | +94.3% | $342.5K |
| 61 | Nevada, IA | IA | -19.2% | +34.4% | +28.1% | +115.1% | $228.5K |
| 62 | Cedar Rapids, IA | IA | -34.4% | +34.3% | -9.1% | +54.6% | $249.7K |
| 63 | Marshalltown, IA | IA | -3.4% | +34.3% | +43.5% | +57.3% | $173.9K |
| 64 | Jefferson, IA | IA | +32.1% | +33.9% | +75.5% | -14.2% | $200K |
| 65 | Burlington, IA | IA | -17.9% | +32.8% | +24.2% | +29.1% | $146K |
| 66 | Clarion, IA | IA | +164.7% | +32.3% | +170.7% | +107.9% | $198.5K |
| 67 | Stanwood, IA | IA | -43.9% | +31.8% | — | +17.9% | $112K |
| 68 | Ellston, IA | IA | +1,624.6% | +31.2% | +77.0% | +86.9% | $440.3K |
| 69 | Urbana, IA | IA | -61.2% | +31.2% | -51.0% | -31.3% | $113.7K |
| 70 | West Branch, IA | IA | +29.1% | +29.2% | +50.7% | +101.5% | $303.5K |
| 71 | Algona, IA | IA | -43.9% | +27.0% | +27.0% | +48.6% | $192K |
| 72 | Traer, IA | IA | +31.1% | +27.0% | +83.8% | — | $209.5K |
| 73 | Newton, IA | IA | -3.0% | +25.3% | +1.1% | +65.1% | $195.5K |
| 74 | Colfax, IA | IA | +82.8% | +24.5% | +81.4% | +214.8% | $253.8K |
| 75 | Lone Tree, IA | IA | +118.8% | +24.1% | +214.0% | +444.7% | $350K |
| 76 | Maquoketa, IA | IA | -22.4% | +21.3% | +59.3% | +132.7% | $179.9K |
| 77 | Osceola, IA | IA | -6.9% | +18.6% | +10.5% | +114.9% | $201.8K |
| 78 | Grimes, IA | IA | -11.3% | +16.4% | +77.0% | +82.3% | $420K |
| 79 | Oskaloosa, IA | IA | +20.0% | +15.9% | +22.3% | +56.7% | $201.3K |
| 80 | Greenfield, IA | IA | -58.0% | +15.6% | +90.3% | +141.6% | $170K |
| 81 | Spirit Lake, IA | IA | +36.8% | +15.5% | +65.5% | +176.6% | $640.7K |
| 82 | Sidney, IA | IA | — | +14.1% | -66.5% | +67.1% | $117K |
| 83 | Ruthven, IA | IA | +222.1% | +13.3% | +66.7% | +422.9% | $470K |
| 84 | Vinton, IA | IA | +51.3% | +12.9% | +67.4% | +145.1% | $206.8K |
| 85 | Mount Vernon, IA | IA | +10.8% | +11.6% | -8.3% | +36.5% | $300K |
| 86 | Des Moines, IA | IA | +1.6% | +11.5% | +13.0% | +80.2% | $263.2K |
| 87 | Carroll, IA | IA | -13.3% | +10.8% | +13.6% | +49.8% | $192.3K |
| 88 | Anamosa, IA | IA | -21.3% | +10.8% | +52.7% | +94.8% | $232K |
| 89 | Mason City, IA | IA | -1.1% | +10.6% | +32.2% | +49.1% | $191.5K |
| 90 | Ankeny, IA | IA | +2.6% | +7.4% | +92.9% | +78.7% | $448.3K |
| 91 | Denison, IA | IA | -40.6% | +6.8% | +12.5% | +69.3% | $164.5K |
| 92 | Larchwood, IA | IA | -3.5% | +6.7% | — | -57.2% | $287K |
| 93 | Milford, IA | IA | +94.4% | +6.2% | +163.9% | +83.7% | $432.5K |
| 94 | Brooklyn, IA | IA | +3.9% | +5.1% | -13.8% | +22.5% | $134.5K |
| 95 | Solon, IA | IA | -30.0% | +5.0% | +16.0% | +137.0% | $410.5K |
| 96 | Pleasant Hill, IA | IA | +2.6% | +4.3% | +48.0% | +62.1% | $319.9K |
| 97 | Lamoni, IA | IA | +78.4% | +4.2% | +76.5% | +282.4% | $200.3K |
| 98 | Coralville, IA | IA | -38.4% | +3.6% | +11.9% | +1.2% | $280K |
| 99 | Le Mars, IA | IA | +16.4% | +3.3% | +119.0% | +145.4% | $355K |
| 100 | Estherville, IA | IA | -26.1% | +2.8% | +55.0% | +32.7% | $127.5K |
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.