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

All states·Iowa·Marshalltown

Marshall County · Marshalltown · population 27,886

Affordability
Marshalltown, IA
Image: Wikipedia · Marshalltown, Iowa
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
70
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Marshalltown stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.3% in the last year.

Median home $174,609
1-year +4.3%
5-yr CAGR +5.3%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$175k$87k$119k$150k$182k201620182020202220242026

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
78/100
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.

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.6
Buy

At a 13.6 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Marshalltown on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.6 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
71 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
66 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
50 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
69 · w10%
Long thesis

Marshalltown offers a $174,609 median home with +5.3% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Marshalltown'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 Marshalltown

Marshalltown is a city in Marshall County, Iowa, with an estimated population of 27,886. The median home value in Marshalltown is $174,609 as of 2026-04, up 4.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Marshalltown average $1,068 per month. The composite momentum score is 70 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $174,609 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +5.3% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +4.3% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Marshalltown (Wikipedia)

Marshalltown is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Iowa, United States. The population was 27,591 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 27,886 in 2024, making it the 17th-most populous city in Iowa. Marshalltown is home to the Iowa Veterans Home and Marshalltown Community College.

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

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 Marshall County right now.

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

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

Cities like Marshalltown

Boone, IA69 · RisingBettendorf, IA69 · RisingMarion, IA70 · RisingIowa City, IA72 · Rising

Run the numbers for Marshalltown

ToolCan I afford Marshalltown?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Marshalltown rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Marshalltown to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolMarshalltown 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 Marshalltown 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 Marshalltown 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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