Cedar Rapids, IA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Iowa·Cedar Rapids

Linn County · Cedar Rapids · population 137,904

First-time buyers
Cedar Rapids, IA
Image: Wikipedia · Cedar Rapids, Iowa
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Cedar Rapids stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 12.2% in the last year.

Median home $210,271
1-year +2.5%
5-yr CAGR +5.0%
vs 5-yr peak -0.3%
Population +0.0%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-02$210k$124k$156k$187k$219k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
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.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,227/mo$852$1,076$1,300202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent128135100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 14.3
Buy

At a 14.3 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Cedar Rapids on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 14.3 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
63 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
65 · w22%
Distance from peak
88 · w18%
Population growth
46 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
58 · w10%
Long thesis

Cedar Rapids has held up across the cycle: home values at $210,271 with +5.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Cedar Rapids's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, with an estimated population of 137,904. The median home value in Cedar Rapids is $210,271 as of 2026-04, up 2.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Cedar Rapids average $1,227 per month, up 12.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $210,271 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Quiet strength: +2.5% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently -0.3% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 12.2% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Rental squeeze: rents up 12.2% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Cedar Rapids (Wikipedia)

Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and the county seat. The population was 137,710 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 137,904 in 2024. making it the second-most populous city in Iowa. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, 20 miles (32 km) north of Iowa City and 128 miles (206 km) northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorTiffany O'Donnell
Area76.037 sq mi
Elevation810 ft
SettledLate-1830's
Densityauto/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Things to see in Cedar Rapids(Tourism)

  • Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
  • National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
  • Paramount Theatre
  • Orchestra Iowa
  • Theatre Cedar Rapids
  • African American Museum of Iowa
  • Ashton Kutcher
  • Elijah Wood
  • Terry Farrell
  • Ron Livingston
  • The Pajama Game
  • Cedar Rapids

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Linn County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Cedar Rapids

9 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Cedar Valley$205,313+6.9%
2Lincolnway Village$201,555+3.2%
3Cedar Hills$196,979+2.5%
4Noelridge Park$170,072+5.6%
5Kenwood Park$163,858+3.6%
6Oakhill Jackson$150,689+3.6%
7Mound View$147,823+5.9%
8Taylor$136,772+1.5%
9Wellington Heights$130,906+3.8%

Cities like Cedar Rapids

Sioux City, IA68 · RisingCouncil Bluffs, IA65 · RisingDavenport, IA62 · RisingCedar Falls, IA67 · Rising

Run the numbers for Cedar Rapids

ToolCan I afford Cedar Rapids?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Cedar Rapids rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Cedar Rapids to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolCedar Rapids 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 Cedar Rapids listings on the major real-estate sites.

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

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Cedar Rapids 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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