Hardin County, IA Average Home Price (2026)

The average home price in Hardin County, Iowa is about $181,000 (the 2026 median across 9 ZIP codes, at ~$131/sq ft) — 13% more affordable than the Iowa median and 37% more affordable than the typical U.S. home.

$181,000
Median home value
$131
Median price / sq ft
9
ZIP codes with data
-13%
vs Iowa median

How Hardin County compares

Hardin County is relatively affordable for housing nationally: its typical home costs $181,000 against $207,500 for Iowa and $289,000 for the U.S. Within the county, ZIP-level values run from about $130,000 to $340,000.

AreaTypical value$ / sq ft
Hardin County$181,000$131
Iowa$207,500$133
United States$289,000$193

Hardin County home prices by ZIP code

The 9 most valuable ZIP codes in Hardin County (of 9 with data):

ZIP codeTypical value$ / sq ftvs county
50102 Garden City$340,000$179+88%
50230 Radcliffe$202,000$103+12%
50258 Union$192,000$136+6%
50672 Steamboat Rock$190,000$131+5%
50206 New Providence$181,000$94+0%
50122 Hubbard$169,000$82-7%
50126 Iowa Falls$159,000$131-12%
50006 Alden$153,000$203-15%
50627 Eldora$130,000$84-28%

Home value appreciation in Hardin County

Home prices in Hardin County have risen about 51% over the last 10 years (≈4.2% a year) and +77.6% over 20 years, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. The most recent year came in at -2.0% — a recent dip. A home worth $181,000 today was worth roughly $120,027 ten years ago.

-2.0%
1-year change
+33.9%
5-year change
+50.8%
10-year change
+77.6%
20-year change

See where that trend takes a specific home with the home appreciation calculator — statewide, Iowa is +65.4% over the same 10 years. Past appreciation is a track record, not a forecast; local prices can fall.

Calculators for Hardin County

Run the numbers for Hardin County with the local rates already filled in — change any input to test your own situation.

Salary needed to buy a home in Hardin County

To buy the typical $181,000 home in Hardin County with 20% down, you need a household income of roughly $49,000 a year (about $1,150 a month for the mortgage, taxes, and insurance). With 10% down the bar rises to about $59,000, because the loan is bigger and mortgage insurance kicks in.

Down paymentCash downMonthly paymentIncome needed
5% (+PMI)$9,100$1,430/mo$61,000/yr
10% (+PMI)$18,100$1,370/mo$59,000/yr
20%$36,200$1,150/mo$49,000/yr

Assumes a 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.5%, property tax at 1.1% and insurance at 0.45% of value per year, PMI of 0.75% on loans with less than 20% down, and the standard 28% housing-to-income rule. Your rate, taxes, and HOA will move these — run your own numbers in the mortgage calculator.

What your budget buys in Hardin County

At about $131 per square foot, here is roughly how much home different budgets get you in Hardin County:

BudgetApprox. sizeWhat that looks like locally
$150k1150 sq ftaround the typical home here
$200k1530 sq ftaround the typical home here
$250k1910 sq ftabove the median — larger homes or the pricier ZIPs
$300k2290 sq ftabove the median — larger homes or the pricier ZIPs
$400k3050 sq ftabove the median — larger homes or the pricier ZIPs

Wondering where that budget goes further? The relocation calculator ranks hundreds of U.S. cities by what the same money buys — it opens filtered to Iowa.

Estimate a specific home in Hardin County

Enter your ZIP and size for an instant estimate tailored to your exact area:

Hardin County home prices: frequently asked

What is the average home price in Hardin County, IA? +
The typical home in Hardin County, Iowa is worth about $181,000 as of 2026 (the median across its 9 ZIP codes with data), at roughly $131 per square foot — 13% more affordable than the Iowa median of $207,500 and 37% more affordable than the U.S. median.
What salary do you need to buy a house in Hardin County? +
For the typical $181,000 home in Hardin County, a household income of about $49,000 a year covers the payment with 20% down (a 30-year fixed at 6.5%, plus taxes and insurance, under the 28% rule). With 10% down you need roughly $59,000; with 5% down about $61,000.
Which part of Hardin County is most expensive? +
Among the ZIP codes we track, 50102 (Garden City) is the priciest at about $340,000 and 50627 (Eldora) the most affordable at about $130,000 — a 2.6× spread inside one county.
Are home values in Hardin County going up? +
Over the last 10 years home prices in Hardin County changed about +50.8% (≈4.2% a year), and -2.0% in the latest year, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. Over 20 years: +77.6%. Past gains are not a guarantee of future ones.

Browse all Iowa cities and counties, or look up price per square foot by ZIP code nationwide.

Directional estimates from public market data (Realtor.com & Zillow research; FHFA house price index; Census ZIP-to-county relationships), not appraisals.