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Iowa Mortgage Calculator

Use this free Iowa mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly mortgage payments and annual amortization.

Loan details

%

Monthly payment

$2,112

at 6.88% · 30-year fixed

  • Principal & interest

    $1,577

  • Property taxes

    $375

  • Homeowners insurance

    $160

Loan amount

$240,000

Total interest paid

$327,875

Payoff date

—

YOU'RE KEEPING $15,093

$15,093

stays in your pocket

That's your total savings over 30 years at today's best rate on NerdWallet (6.88%) vs. the 7.14% national average — $42 less every month.

  • Today's best rate: 6.88%

  • Get your free rate with no credit impact

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No impact to your credit score

Calculated payments and savings are estimates. The calculator result does not constitute an offer for a loan and will not solicit a loan offer. Savings will depend on the actual amounts and rate for which you are approved, should you choose to apply.

Taking Out a Mortgage in Iowa

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Last updated November 19, 2025
The cost of a mortgage depends heavily on location, with notable differences from county to county. National averages provide a baseline, but a cost of living calculator comparing everyday expenses paired with local housing data often tell a more useful story.
Iowa mortgage costs sit firmly below national averages. In Polk County, home to Des Moines, the typical mortgage payment was $1,723 in Q1 2025 for a median-priced home valued at $293,998, according to the National Association of Realtors. By comparison, the national median payment was $2,120 on a median-priced single-family home valued at $402,300.

Iowa mortgage and refinance rates today (APR)

ProductInterest rateAPR
30-year fixed-rate7.363%7.369%
20-year fixed-rate7.324%7.327%
15-year fixed-rate6.572%6.578%
7-year ARM6.750%6.623%
5-year ARM7.375%6.988%
30-year fixed-rate VA6.667%7.014%
Data source: ©Zillow, Inc. 2006 – 2026. Use is subject to the Terms of Use

Today's rate

7.369%

30-year fixed

Today's mortgage rates in Iowa are 7.369% for a 30-year fixed, 6.578% for a 15-year fixed, and 6.988% for a 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM).

Iowa's first-time home buyer programs

There are several national first-time home buyer programs that may be able to help you get into a home in Iowa.
» MORE: First-time home buyer programs by state

Average property tax by county

Taking U.S. Census data, NerdWallet has crunched the numbers to help you understand what property tax rate you can expect to pay on your future home in Iowa. Because assessed values aren't frequently updated, you may pay a higher rate at first but eventually you'll pay a similar rate.

CountyAvg. property tax rateMedian home value
Adair County1.10%$131,600
Adams County1.01%$109,400
Allamakee County0.94%$156,900
Appanoose County1.22%$113,900
Audubon County1.03%$99,900
Benton County1.24%$189,000
Black Hawk County1.44%$179,700
Boone County1.35%$171,600
Bremer County1.32%$202,600
Buchanan County1.32%$166,200
Buena Vista County1.24%$138,100
Butler County1.28%$146,300
Calhoun County1.19%$104,900
Carroll County1.05%$162,000
Cass County1.40%$127,400
Cedar County1.12%$180,700
Cerro Gordo County1.28%$145,200
Cherokee County0.99%$145,300
Chickasaw County1.17%$151,700
Clarke County1.37%$127,200
Clay County1.18%$151,400
Clayton County1.09%$149,500
Clinton County1.47%$144,900
Crawford County1.28%$118,400
Dallas County1.41%$360,000
Davis County1.38%$140,300
Decatur County1.54%$97,000
Delaware County1.28%$154,600
Des Moines County1.47%$135,300
Dickinson County0.85%$236,100
Dubuque County1.23%$224,800
Emmet County1.37%$102,700
Fayette County1.18%$123,000
Floyd County1.20%$128,800
Franklin County1.26%$108,200
Fremont County1.13%$140,400
Greene County1.31%$119,100
Grundy County1.21%$166,300
Guthrie County1.34%$153,100
Hamilton County1.21%$116,000
Hancock County1.21%$116,000
Hardin County1.30%$109,300
Harrison County1.28%$152,000
Henry County1.43%$145,200
Howard County1.15%$125,100
Humboldt County1.38%$134,300
Ida County0.93%$108,000
Iowa County1.23%$175,600
Jackson County1.02%$162,100
Jasper County1.29%$163,800
Jefferson County1.45%$141,500
Johnson County1.49%$274,500
Jones County1.20%$165,200
Keokuk County1.14%$105,500
Kossuth County1.05%$118,800
Lee County1.32%$121,000
Linn County1.57%$195,800
Louisa County1.15%$125,500
Lucas County1.01%$111,000
Lyon County0.90%$190,800
Madison County1.23%$230,500
Mahaska County1.35%$135,100
Marion County1.28%$192,300
Marshall County1.38%$125,900
Mills County1.15%$225,500
Mitchell County0.99%$149,200
Monona County1.09%$108,700
Monroe County1.62%$128,000
Montgomery County1.40%$99,300
Muscatine County1.47%$159,000
O'Brien County1.15%$141,900
Osceola County0.93%$114,800
Page County1.33%$112,400
Palo Alto County1.16%$117,000
Plymouth County1.08%$199,800
Pocahontas County1.02%$90,400
Polk County1.72%$252,300
Pottawattamie County1.48%$193,800
Poweshiek County1.11%$173,600
Ringgold County1.18%$143,100
Sac County0.95%$119,500
Scott County1.52%$196,500
Shelby County1.03%$152,900
Sioux County1.14%$220,700
Story County1.47%$250,700
Tama County1.28%$129,400
Taylor County1.06%$104,500
Union County1.61%$113,800
Van Buren County0.92%$107,700
Wapello County1.51%$105,800
Warren County1.46%$234,300
Washington County1.24%$182,400
Wayne County1.01%$98,700
Webster County1.44%$130,400
Winnebago County1.38%$121,700
Winneshiek County1.14%$225,400
Woodbury County1.48%$178,500
Worth County1.03%$130,600
Wright County1.27%$105,400
Source: American Communities Survey 2022, U.S. Census

How to use the mortgage calculator

To use our mortgage calculator, add your details to the following fields:
1. Home price: What you're hoping to spend on a home.
2. ZIP code: The home's location.
3. Down payment: How much cash you're paying up front toward the home's price. This calculator defaults to showing a 20% down payment, but you can adjust it up or down by changing the dollar amount or the percentage. This calculator assumes you're using a conventional loan, so it will automatically add private mortgage insurance (PMI) if the down payment amount is less than 20%.
4. Loan term: The default is 30 years, but you can also choose a shorter term.
5. Interest rate: Use today's average APR, enter the rate you've been quoted or use the lowest APR NerdWallet partners are offering today.
That's the least you can do. To get more accurate results, fill in the following four categories. (Estimates are fine, but this goes over how to get more specific numbers.)
6. Property taxes (per year): This is autofilled with an estimate, but property taxes vary tremendously throughout the country. Get more precise by looking up the tax rate where you're planning to buy or looking at the tax history for the home you're interested in. You can change the property tax amount by editing the dollar amount or the percentage.
7. Homeowners insurance (per year): Mortgage lenders require borrowers to have homeowners insurance. Not sure what you might pay? This calculator puts in an estimate, but you can use NerdWallet's home insurance calculator to fine-tune it. All you need to know is the property location and the rough amount you'd be looking to insure — use the home's price as a proxy.
8. HOA fees: If the home is part of a homeowners association, put the monthly dues here. (The calculator default is no HOA costs.) This is also information you can likely crib from a home's listing. One other note — if there are HOA fees but you're going to pay them directly rather than with an escrow account, you can omit them here.
9. PMI (monthly): If you've entered a down payment amount under 20%, this will autofill, since the calculator assumes you're using a conventional loan. PMI is tied to your credit score, so if you want a more accurate figure, pop over to NerdWallet's PMI calculator. If you're using a VA loan, you can zero this out, since VA loans do not require mortgage insurance. On the other hand, if you're getting an FHA loan, you'll have to pay mortgage insurance premiums regardless of your down payment amount. For more accurate payment info, use our FHA mortgage calculator.
The calculator's results will update as you adjust the numbers in these fields. The results show you the monthly payment, as well as:
  • Loan amount: How much you're actually borrowing in principal.
  • Total interest paid: How much interest you will pay over the life of the mortgage if you keep it until its term ends. (Most people sell or refinance well before that point, but it's still interesting info.)
  • Payoff date: If you kept the same loan for its entire term, here's the month and year when you'd own the home free and clear.
There's also a simple annual amortization schedule. Amortization shows how your mortgage payment changes over time. Even though the principal and interest payment doesn't change with a fixed-rate mortgage, the percentage of that payment that's going toward each component does. At the beginning of the loan, more goes toward interest; the closer to the end of the loan's term, the more of the payment goes toward principal. If you want a more detailed month-by-month look, yes, NerdWallet has an amortization calculator, too.
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CONSIDERING A REFI? If you're looking to see how much you could save by refinancing your mortgage, try NerdWallet's refinance calculator.
» MORE FOR CANADIAN READERS: Canada mortgage payment calculator