The 18 most competitive housing markets in Iowa
Across much of the U.S., people are struggling to buy and sell homes. Homebuyers are scared off by high prices and economic uncertainty, while home sellers are staying put until they can earn more profit from the sale. Student loan debt is adding even more pressure on younger buyers. As such, houses are selling at a historically slow rate, especially in the Sun Belt—even as mortgage rates fall.
That's not the case everywhere, though. In today's market, understanding your local level of competition can help you make smarter decisions. It affects everything from how quickly homes sell to how much negotiating power buyers and sellers have.
Conditions vary widely across Iowa—but this list can help. Redfin Real Estate ranked the most competitive cities in Iowa based on their combined months of supply (lower is better), average sale to list ratio (higher is better), and median days on market (lower is better). All data is an average for the January-October 2025 period. To see the most competitive cities in the country, read this recent Redfin article.
#1. Marion, Iowa
- Days on market: 24.1 days
- Sale to list ratio: 99.4%
- Months of supply: 2.06 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 24.7%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 47.3%
- See homes for sale in Marion on Redfin.com
#2. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Days on market: 22.56 days
- Sale to list ratio: 99.0%
- Months of supply: 1.6 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 29.9%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 50.6%
- See homes for sale in Cedar Rapids on Redfin.com
#3. Bettendorf, Iowa
- Days on market: 29.6 days
- Sale to list ratio: 99.4%
- Months of supply: 2.1 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 33.9%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 42.9%
- See homes for sale in Bettendorf on Redfin.com
#4. Davenport, Iowa
- Days on market: 28.82 days
- Sale to list ratio: 98.9%
- Months of supply: 1.93 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 37.6%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 47.5%
- See homes for sale in Davenport on Redfin.com
#5. Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Days on market: 29.14 days
- Sale to list ratio: 98.1%
- Months of supply: 1.55 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 30.4%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 54.4%
- See homes for sale in Council Bluffs on Redfin.com
#6. Des Moines, Iowa
- Days on market: 27.81 days
- Sale to list ratio: 98.0%
- Months of supply: 2.55 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 24.9%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 39.6%
- See homes for sale in Des Moines on Redfin.com
#6. Indianola, Iowa
- Days on market: 26.99 days
- Sale to list ratio: 98.2%
- Months of supply: 2.86 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 17.3%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 41.9%
- See homes for sale in Indianola on Redfin.com
#6. West Des Moines, Iowa
- Days on market: 31.68 days
- Sale to list ratio: 98.7%
- Months of supply: 2.61 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 22.3%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 39.0%
- See homes for sale in West Des Moines on Redfin.com
#9. Ankeny, Iowa
- Days on market: 54.24 days
- Sale to list ratio: 99.4%
- Months of supply: 2.98 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 22.8%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 29.7%
- See homes for sale in Ankeny on Redfin.com
#10. Grimes, Iowa
- Days on market: 42.61 days
- Sale to list ratio: 99.0%
- Months of supply: 3.47 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 23.4%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 28.4%
- See homes for sale in Grimes on Redfin.com
#11. Altoona, Iowa
- Days on market: 59.32 days
- Sale to list ratio: 99.5%
- Months of supply: 3.57 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 26.8%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 25.6%
- See homes for sale in Altoona on Redfin.com
#11. Pleasant Hill, Iowa
- Days on market: 56.21 days
- Sale to list ratio: 98.8%
- Months of supply: 2.86 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 19.2%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 30.5%
- See homes for sale in Pleasant Hill on Redfin.com
#11. Urbandale, Iowa
- Days on market: 45.74 days
- Sale to list ratio: 99.0%
- Months of supply: 3.31 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 23.6%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 34.7%
- See homes for sale in Urbandale on Redfin.com
#14. Norwalk, Iowa
- Days on market: 93.55 days
- Sale to list ratio: 99.2%
- Months of supply: 3.19 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 24.7%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 24.4%
- See homes for sale in Norwalk on Redfin.com
#15. Clive, Iowa
- Days on market: 46.17 days
- Sale to list ratio: 98.6%
- Months of supply: 3.11 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 18.1%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 32.8%
- See homes for sale in Clive on Redfin.com
#15. Newton, Iowa
- Days on market: 41.66 days
- Sale to list ratio: 96.8%
- Months of supply: 2.86 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 18.4%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 33.5%
- See homes for sale in Newton on Redfin.com
#15. Waukee, Iowa
- Days on market: 112.9 days
- Sale to list ratio: 99.6%
- Months of supply: 4.36 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 24.7%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 21.7%
- See homes for sale in Waukee on Redfin.com
#18. Johnston, Iowa
- Days on market: 50.59 days
- Sale to list ratio: 98.5%
- Months of supply: 3.96 months
- Share of homes sold above list price: 19.7%
- Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 33.8%
- See homes for sale in Johnston on Redfin.com
