St. Charles: Housing & Real Estate
St. Charles homes sell at a median $221,300 (estimated market value runs 9% higher at $240,436), with median rent $855 (1.1× below Madison County median $932; about the same as Iowa median $897). Homeownership rate: 71.0%. That's about the same as the Madison County median ($230,500); 1.2× higher than the Iowa median ($187,019). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 3.9%. New construction makes up 9.6% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 2.7× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Iowa 2.5×).
- 21.6 years to break even renting at the median (vs Iowa 17y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.7× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 35% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $221,300 — 1.2× the Iowa median ($187,019). Median rent $855/month. homeownership rate 71.0% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 2.7× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 13.6% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 10.2% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 7.5% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 3.5% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $1,063 |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $1,109 |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,318 |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,794 |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,841 |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $240,436 |
| Median Home Value | $221,300 (vs Iowa $187,019) |
| Median Rent | $855 (vs Iowa $897) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 3.9% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 9.6% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 12.3% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Systems (2)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 100.0% |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 324 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 13.40¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 1,448,818 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $1,939 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0% |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 100% |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 100% |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 1 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 71.0% |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1976 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12