Dows: Housing & Real Estate
$59,800 is the median home value in Dows (estimated market value runs 16% higher at $69,095), with median rent $695 (1.1× below Wright County median $790; 1.4× below Iowa median $972). Homeownership rate: 75.3%. That's 2.0× below the Wright County median ($119,600); 3.5× below the Iowa median ($208,000). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 12.3%. New construction makes up 0.9% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 0.8× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Iowa 2.8×).
- 7.2 years to break even renting at the median (vs Iowa 16y).
- 4-BR rent is 2.3× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 24% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $59,800 — 0.3× the Iowa median ($187,100). Median rent $695/month. homeownership rate 75.3% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 0.8× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 10.1% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 21.3% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 7.2% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 1.4% |
| 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 | $1,168 (vs Iowa $1,490) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,542 (vs Iowa $1,797) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Franklin County, IA |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $69,095 |
| Median Home Value | $59,800 (vs Iowa $187,100) |
| Median Rent | $695 (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 | 12.3% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 0.9% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 6.4% |
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 (1)
| 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 | 9.5% (vs Iowa 73.1%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 377 |
| 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) |
| 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
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 1 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 1 |
| Ev Charging · Dc Fast Ports | 8 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 75.3% (vs Iowa 67.5%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1938 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12