West Bend: Housing & Real Estate
Homes in West Bend carry a median value of $159,700 (estimated market value runs 20% higher at $191,564), with median rent $538 (1.2× below Palo Alto County median $638; 1.8× below Iowa median $972). Homeownership rate: 84.7%. That's 1.3× higher than the Palo Alto County median ($123,200); 1.3× below the Iowa median ($208,000). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 15.3%. New construction makes up 3.9% of stock. 2 nursing facilities on file. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 1.9× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Iowa 2.8×).
- 24.7 years to break even renting at the median (vs Iowa 16y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.8× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 41% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $159,700 — 0.9× the Iowa median ($187,100). Median rent $538/month. homeownership rate 84.7% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 1.9× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 7.6% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 25.6% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 7.4% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 2.1% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $682 (vs Iowa $774) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $700 (vs Iowa $816) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $919 (vs Iowa $1,071) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,102 (vs Iowa $1,490) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,217 (vs Iowa $1,797) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Kossuth County, IA |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $191,564 |
| Median Home Value | $159,700 (vs Iowa $187,100) |
| Median Rent | $538 (vs Iowa $967) |
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 | 15.3% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 3.9% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 8.1% |
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% (at Iowa median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Iowa median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Iowa median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 0.0% (vs Iowa 0.7%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 466 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 13.40¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 1448818 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $1,939 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Iowa median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Iowa median) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 84.7% (vs Iowa 67.5%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1966 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12