Income needed to buy a home

Boone County, IA

$81,961

a year in household income to buy the typical Boone County home with 10% down.

The monthly math

Typical home value$233,752
Down payment (10%)$23,375
Loan$210,377
Principal and interest (7.40%)$1,457/mo
Property tax (1.29% a year)$251/mo
Homeowners insurance (estimate)$117/mo
Mortgage insurance$88/mo
Total monthly cost$1,912/mo

Income needed keeps housing at 28% of gross income, the lender rule of thumb.

What locals earn

Right at the edge

The typical household here earns $83,531 a year, 2% more than it takes.

In Iowa

Boone County ranks #70 of 99 for the income a home takes, from least to most.

Easiest to afford in Iowa

CountyTypical homeIncome needed
Pocahontas County$101,899$34,888
Appanoose County$118,881$41,110
Lee County$125,776$44,079
Wapello County$131,712$46,563
Wright County$136,258$47,713

Typical home value from the Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026. Rate is the Freddie Mac 30-year average for Oct 8, 2026. Property tax rate is total taxes paid divided by total home value in the county (U.S. Census, ACS 2020-2024). How it works.