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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Council Bluffs, IA Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q1 2024. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Council Bluffs, IA Housing Market Trends

With a population of 62,405, 25,479 total housing units (homes and apartments), and a median house value of $197,964, house prices in Council Bluffs are solidly below the national average.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Council Bluffs, accounting for 68.68% of the city's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Council Bluffs include large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 18.19%), duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 5.95%), and a few mobile homes or trailers ( 4.75%).

The most prevalent building size and type in Council Bluffs are three and four bedroom dwellings, chiefly found in single-family detached homes. The city has a mixture of owners and renters, with 61.40% owning and 38.60% renting.

The housing in Council Bluffs was primarily built before 1939 ( 28.83%), making the housing stock in Council Bluffs some of the oldest overall in America, although there is a range of ages of homes in Council Bluffs. The next most important housing age is between 1970-1999 ( 27.39%), followed by between 1940-1969 ( 26.80%). There's also some housing in Council Bluffs built between 2000 and later ( 16.99%).

Council Bluffs Home Appreciation Rates

Real estate appreciation rates in Council Bluffs's have tracked to near the national average over the last then years, with the annual appreciation rate averaging 5.81% during the period.

NeighborhoodScout's data show that during the latest twelve months, Council Bluffs's appreciation rate, at 10.69%, has been at or slightly above the national average. In the latest quarter, Council Bluffs's appreciation rate has been -0.51%, which annualizes to a rate of -2.01%.

Notably, Council Bluffs's appreciation rate in the latest quarter is one of the lowest in America.

Relative to Iowa, our data show that Council Bluffs's latest annual appreciation rate is higher than 70% of the other cities and towns in Iowa.

One very important thing to keep in mind is that these are average appreciation rates for the city. Individual neighborhoods within Council Bluffs differ in their investment potential, sometimes by a great deal. Fortunately, you can use NeighborhoodScout to pinpoint the exact neighborhoods in Council Bluffs - or in any city or town - that have the best track record of real estate appreciation, by the latest quarter, the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or even since 2000, to assist you in making the best Council Bluffs real estate investment or home purchase decisions.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$197,964

Council Bluffs, IA Home Prices
> $1,335,000
$1,002,001 - $1,335,000
$668,001 - $1,002,000
$534,001 - $668,000
$400,001 - $534,000
$267,001 - $400,000
$134,001 - $267,000
$67,001 - $134,000
$0 - $67,000
0.4%
0.4%
0.9%
0.9%
1.4%
1.4%
3.4%
3.4%
7.6%
7.6%
15.9%
15.9%
49.2%
49.2%
15.8%
15.8%
5.6%
5.6%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
Average

for Iowa

Low

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

25,479

Council Bluffs Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$1,315 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
61.4%
61.4%
38.6%
38.6%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
6.8%
6.8%
93.2%
93.2%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
17.0%
17.0%
27.4%
27.4%
26.8%
26.8%
28.8%
28.8%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
68.7%
68.7%
2.3%
2.3%
6.0%
6.0%
18.2%
18.2%
4.7%
4.7%
0.1%
0.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
2.2%
2.2%
11.3%
11.3%
33.3%
33.3%
40.0%
40.0%
10.4%
10.4%
2.7%
2.7%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes