Rental numbers for Story County, IA
The typical home here runs -$1,256 a month at 7.78% with 25% down. 0 of 2 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 4.7%.
- Gross yield
- 4.9%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 4.7%
- 2 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$1,256/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $295,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,212/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in Story County
13 with published figures
| 50056Colo | $263,000 | $1,130* | 5.1% | 1.5% | -$1,099 | n/a |
| 50278Zearing | $269,000 | $1,130* | 5.1% | 1.6% | -$1,091 | n/a |
| 50236Roland | $263,000 | $1,080* | 4.9% | 1.4% | -$1,105 | n/a |
| 50010Ames | $297,000 | $1,198 | 4.8% | 1.3% | -$1,274 | +5.8% |
| 50201Nevada | $249,000 | $1,000* | 4.8% | 1.1% | -$1,116 | n/a |
| 50154McCallsburg | $242,000 | $960* | 4.8% | 1.6% | -$992 | n/a |
| 50014Ames | $315,000 | $1,211 | 4.6% | 1.2% | -$1,383 | +0.2% |
| 50124Huxley | $345,000 | $1,300* | 4.5% | 0.9% | -$1,599 | n/a |
| 50055Collins | $280,000 | $1,010* | 4.3% | 0.7% | -$1,358 | n/a |
| 50046Cambridge | $339,000 | $1,220* | 4.3% | 1.0% | -$1,538 | n/a |
| 50248Story City | $290,000 | $1,040* | 4.3% | 0.9% | -$1,332 | n/a |
| 50105Gilbert | $341,000 | $1,050* | 3.7% | 0.4% | -$1,739 | n/a |
| 50134Kelley | $352,000 | $1,070* | 3.6% | 0.6% | -$1,720 | n/a |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- +2.9%
- Rent, 12 months
- +3.3%
- Rent minus price growth
- +0.5 pts
- Property tax
- 1.40%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $244,855 | $997 |
| Aug 2022 | $268,918 | $1,029 |
| Aug 2023 | $280,273 | $1,055 |
| Aug 2024 | $277,839 | $1,142 |
| Aug 2025 | $286,903 | $1,173 |
| Aug 2026 | $295,094 | $1,212 |
HUD Fair Market Rent
FY2027, Ames, IA HUD Metro FMR Area
| Bedrooms | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Market Rent | $891 | $944 | $1,061 | $1,469 | $1,768 |
The 40th percentile gross rent for a standard unit, set by HUD each October and used for Section 8 payment standards. It runs below market rent; Zillow's index is shown above where it exists.
Supply
- Permits per 1,000 households
- 6.1
- 236 units, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 54th
- among US counties
Tools
Questions
- Is Story County good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$1,256 a month at 7.78% with 25% down. 0 of 2 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 4.7%. The figures use a typical home, 7.78% with 25% down and default costs shown on each ZIP page. They describe the market, not any one property.
- What is the property tax rate in Story County?
- About 1.40% of value, from Census ACS median taxes paid over median home value. On a $295,000 home that is about $4,143 a year.
- What is Fair Market Rent in Story County?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent here is $944 for a 1-bedroom, $1,061 for a 2-bedroom and $1,469 for a 3-bedroom. Typical cash flow at today's rate is -$1,256 a month.
Sources and method
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), mid tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical home value by ZIP, county, metro and state, and the price trend.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical market rent by ZIP, county and metro, and the rent trend (tier A pages).
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2026.
Rent by bedroom count for every ZIP. The rent used on tier B pages, and a reference on all pages. It is the 40th percentile gross rent, so it runs below market.
- HUD Fair Market Rents by county, FY2027
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2027.
County rent by bedroom count on county pages.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (B25103 median real estate taxes paid, B25077 median home value, B11001 households)
US Census Bureau. Read: 2020 to 2024.
Effective property tax rate (median taxes paid divided by median value) by ZIP code tabulation area, county and state; households for the permits ratio.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed (FRED series MORTGAGE30US)
Freddie Mac via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Read: 2026-09-24.
The weekly 30-year rate. The site adds a disclosed investor premium to it for the loan payment.
- Building Permits Survey, county monthly files
US Census Bureau. Read: 2025-09 to 2026-08.
New housing units permitted in the last 12 months per 1,000 households, a supply-pressure signal.
Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.
Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.