Finance · Iowa

Iowa Mortgage Calculator (2026)

Calculate your monthly payment with Iowa-specific property tax (1.57%) and average insurance ($1,620/yr).

Iowa defaults: property tax ≈ 1.57% of home value · homeowners insurance ≈ $1,620/year · median home value ≈ $241,000. The calculator is preset with these — adjust for your situation.
Standard loan; PMI if DP < 20%, drops at 78% LTV.
Annual costs

Monthly payment

$1,983.75
PITI + PMI/MIP

Payment breakdown

Principal & interest
$1,443.04
Property tax
$315.33
Insurance
$135.00
PMI
Drops month 115
$90.38
Total monthly
$1,983.75

Loan summary

Loan amount
90.0% LTV
$216,900
Total interest paid
$302,595

Amortization schedule (first 12 + every 12 months)

MonthPrincipalInterestPMI/MIPBalance
1$177.79$1,265.25$90.38$216,722
2$178.83$1,264.21$90.38$216,543
3$179.87$1,263.17$90.38$216,364
4$180.92$1,262.12$90.38$216,183
5$181.98$1,261.07$90.38$216,001
6$183.04$1,260.00$90.38$215,818
7$184.11$1,258.94$90.38$215,633
8$185.18$1,257.86$90.38$215,448
9$186.26$1,256.78$90.38$215,262
10$187.35$1,255.70$90.38$215,075
11$188.44$1,254.60$90.38$214,886
12$189.54$1,253.50$90.38$214,697
24$203.24$1,239.80$90.38$212,334
36$217.93$1,225.11$90.38$209,801
48$233.69$1,209.35$90.38$207,084
60$250.58$1,192.46$90.38$204,171
72$268.69$1,174.35$90.38$201,048
84$288.12$1,154.92$90.38$197,699
96$308.95$1,134.10$90.38$194,107
108$331.28$1,111.76$90.38$190,256
120$355.23$1,087.81$186,127
132$380.91$1,062.13$181,699
144$408.44$1,034.60$176,951
156$437.97$1,005.07$171,860
168$469.63$973.41$166,401
180$503.58$939.46$160,547
192$539.98$903.06$154,270
204$579.02$864.02$147,539
216$620.88$822.16$140,322
228$665.76$777.28$132,582
240$713.89$729.15$124,284
252$765.49$677.55$115,385
264$820.83$622.21$105,844
276$880.17$562.87$95,612
288$943.80$499.24$84,641
300$1,012.02$431.02$72,876
312$1,085.18$357.86$60,262
324$1,163.63$279.41$46,735
336$1,247.75$195.29$32,230
348$1,337.95$105.09$16,677
360$1,434.67$8.37$0

What the payment actually costs

Iowa property tax averages 1.57% of value — 13th highest of 51 states, against a national average near 1.10%. On a $400,000 home that is about $6,280 a year, or $523 a month added to principal and interest.

Homeowners insurance runs about $1,620 a year in Iowa, 18th of 51 states and above the $1,552 national average. Together, tax and insurance add roughly $658 a month to the payment before you have paid a dollar of principal.

How this fits the rest of your tax bill

Iowa taxes both income and property, so neither side offsets the other. Property tax at 1.57% ranks 13th of 51, and state income tax applies on top. Model both together when comparing against a no-income-tax state, because the comparison flips depending on how much house you buy relative to what you earn.

Housing costs compound with the rate. Iowa runs about 10% below national-average costs, so the same 1.57% rate applies to a smaller assessed value than it would elsewhere. A percentage rate is only half the number that matters; the base it applies to is the other half.

Property tax rates are effective statewide averages; your county assessor sets the actual figure and it varies widely within a state. See our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the average property tax rate in Iowa?
Iowa's effective property tax rate is approximately 1.57% of home value per year. On a $241,000 home, that's about $3,784 per year (or $315/month). The calculator above uses this as the default — adjust if your specific county is higher or lower.
What's a typical homeowners insurance cost in Iowa?
The average annual homeowners insurance premium in Iowa is around $1,620 for a typical home. High-risk states (Florida, Louisiana, Texas) tend to be higher due to hurricane/flood/wildfire exposure; low-cost states (Oregon, Hawaii, DC) sit at $1,000 or less.
How much do I need to put down on a Iowa mortgage?
Conventional loans typically require 5-20% down. FHA allows just 3.5% down with a 580+ credit score. VA loans (military) allow 0% down. Putting 20%+ avoids PMI entirely on conventional loans, saving you 0.5-1% of the loan amount per year.
What credit score do I need to buy a home in Iowa?
Conventional: 620 minimum (740+ for best rates). FHA: 580 with 3.5% down, or 500 with 10% down. VA: most lenders want 620 even though VA itself has no minimum. Higher credit = lower rate = thousands in savings over the life of the loan.
Should I rent or buy in this market?
Generally buying makes sense if you plan to stay 5+ years and your monthly payment (including taxes, insurance, maintenance) is within ~30% of your gross income. Use the calculator above to see your real monthly cost — many buyers underestimate the non-mortgage costs by 30-40%.

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