Burlington, IA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Iowa·Burlington

Des Moines County · Burlington · population 23,637

AffordabilitySmall-town feel
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
55
Stable
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Burlington stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $125,109
1-year +0.5%
5-yr CAGR +2.0%
vs 5-yr peak -0.5%
Population -0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-01$125k$89k$103k$117k$131k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
70/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
53 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
47 · w22%
Distance from peak
87 · w18%
Population growth
40 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
43 · w10%
Long thesis

Burlington has held up across the cycle: home values at $125,109 with +2.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Burlington is a small market with thin transaction volume and modest appreciation. The bear case is liquidity: when you eventually sell, your buyer pool is small, slow, and price-sensitive.

About Burlington

Burlington is a city in Des Moines County, Iowa, with an estimated population of 23,637. The median home value in Burlington is $125,109 as of 2026-04, up 0.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +2.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. The composite momentum score is 55 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.

▲ Bull case

●Held the highs: currently -0.5% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Cheap entry point: $125,109 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.4% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

Playbook

Buyer

Lifestyle fit matters more than market timing in a Stable market. Take your time on the home and neighborhood; the macro trend isn't urgent. Negotiate normally.

Seller

Price competitively from day one or risk a 60+ day listing. Staging, photography, and presentation matter more in Stable markets than in Hot ones.

Investor

Stable cap rates, no big appreciation story to lean on. Underwrite this as a pure cash-flow play — the math has to work on rent alone.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Des Moines County right now.

NWS active alerts (IA)Iowa Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Des Moines County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Burlington

Fort Dodge, IA59 · StableFort Madison, IA51 · StableClinton, IA60 · StableDavenport, IA62 · Rising

Run the numbers for Burlington

ToolCan I afford Burlington?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Burlington rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Burlington to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolBurlington cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
28° / 11°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
84° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
200
~55% of year
Annual precip
36″ rain
30″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Burlington listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Burlington area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$70,500
Iowa state median
Top industries (state-level)
InsuranceManufacturingAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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