Carroll, IA Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Carroll, IA metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Carroll, IA Market Analysis
Market Overview
Carroll, Iowa presents a moderate housing market, reflected in its PropertyIQ Score of 50 out of 100. The score places Carroll in the middle of the range, neither overheated nor distressed. The market’s top score drivers are a median days on market of 52 days and a share of listings with a price cut of 22.9 percent. There are 79 homes currently for sale. Those figures point to a market that is active enough to move listings in under two months, but not so competitive that sellers can avoid discounts in a meaningful share of transactions.
Compared with Iowa statewide benchmarks, Carroll is more affordable on the home-price side but lags in rental income. The median home value in Carroll is $215,000, about $24,547 below the state average of $239,547. The rent index is $731, far below the state average of $972. At the same time, the local unemployment rate is 3.2 percent, matching the state average exactly, and median household income is $72,930, slightly below the state figure of $75,059. Home value year over year is $1, essentially flat. Population growth data is not available in the provided metrics.
The overall picture is one of stability rather than rapid expansion. Homes are priced below the state norm, which may attract buyers, but the flat year-over-year home value and moderate PropertyIQ score suggest that Carroll does not currently show strong appreciation pressure. The rental market is notably cheaper than the state average, which has different implications for owner-occupants and investors.
Key Trends
The first trend is effectively flat home price appreciation. The median home value of $215,000 is paired with a home value year-over-year change of only $1. This suggests that while values are not declining, they are not rising at a pace that would create urgency or significant equity gains. Compared with Iowa’s median home value of $239,547, Carroll remains a lower-cost market, but that gap has not translated into rapid catch-up appreciation in the data provided.
A second trend is a moderately paced sales environment. The median days on market is 52 days, and 22.9 percent of listings have had a price cut. These are the top drivers of the PropertyIQ score. The current inventory of 79 homes for sale also contributes to this picture. A median under two months indicates reasonable buyer interest, but a price-cut share near 23 percent means sellers often need to adjust expectations. This combination points to a balanced market with some buyer negotiation power.
A third trend is relative affordability for local incomes. Carroll’s median household income of $72,930 is only about $2,129 below the Iowa average of $75,059, while its median home value is about $24,547 below the state average. That means the typical home price is closer to local earning power than in the state overall, which may support first-time and budget-conscious buyers.
A fourth trend is a wide gap between local rents and state rents. Carroll’s rent index of $731 is $241 below the Iowa benchmark of $972. For tenants, this may make Carroll more affordable, but for rental-property investors, it indicates that income potential is materially lower than the state average. The lower rent level also aligns with the lower home values, but it is a key factor for anyone buying for cash flow.
Who Is This Market For
Carroll appears best suited for first-time buyers and budget-conscious owner-occupants. The median home value of $215,000 is well under the state average of $239,547, while the median household income of $72,930 is close to the statewide figure of $75,059. With an unemployment rate of 3.2 percent matching the state average, local employment conditions do not appear to be a relative disadvantage for buyers who plan to live and work in the area.
The market may also suit buyers who prefer a less frantic search. With a median days on market of 52 days and 22.9 percent of listings cutting price, buyers may have more time to evaluate properties and more room to negotiate than in a seller-heavy market. This can be an advantage for first-time buyers who are less experienced and need time to make decisions.
For investors, the picture is more mixed. Entry prices are lower than the state average, which may reduce upfront capital requirements, but the rent index of $731 is significantly below the Iowa average of $972. That lower rent level may limit cash flow relative to other Iowa markets. Investors who prioritize steady, modest income and lower price points may still find opportunities, but those seeking state-average rental returns are likely to be disappointed by the local rent data.
Outlook
The data supports a stable, slow-moving outlook for Carroll. The flat home value year-over-year change of $1 and a PropertyIQ score of 50 out of 100 point to a market that is not positioned for rapid price acceleration. The 52-day median days on market and 22.9 percent price-cut share suggest that supply and demand are fairly balanced, with enough listings to give buyers some leverage. A 3.2 percent unemployment rate, matching the state average, provides a stable employment base, and the median household income of $72,930 is close to the state benchmark, which should support local demand at current price levels. However, with no population growth data available, it is not possible to project demand from migration or household formation. The low rent index of $731 relative to the state average of $972 may also temper investor-driven demand. Overall, the numbers point to a market that should remain affordable and steady, with limited risk of sharp price swings but also limited near-term appreciation.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated October 2, 2026.
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Carroll, IA market data
Carroll, IA Housing Market Overview
Carroll, IA's median home value is $176K. Homes here sell in a median 52 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 50 sits right around the state average of 50.
Whether you're considering buying a home, investing in rental property, or weighing entry timing in the Carroll, IA area, the PropertyIQ Score gives you a single, data-first read on relative market strength. It is validated against actual market outcomes from 2001 to 2023, with a positive score-to-return relationship in every validated year across IA and every other US state.
Midwestern housing markets are characterized by affordability and economic diversification. From manufacturing hubs undergoing tech-sector transitions to university towns with stable demand, the region offers value-oriented opportunities with lower entry costs than coastal markets. Within the Midwest, Carroll, IA's PropertyIQ Score of 50 tracks near the Midwest norm.
For the Carroll, IA market, PropertyIQ calculates a single score each month from four inputs: twelve-month Zillow home-value momentum, three-month Zillow home-value momentum, median days on market from Realtor.com, and the Realtor.com price-reduced share. The score is computed nationally across all metros and calibrated so 50 equals the state average. Across the validation history, metro markets in the top score band have outperformed their state by roughly 1.7 percentage points more per year than bottom-band markets.
Explore the interactive map to see how Carroll, IA compares to neighboring metros, or view the full market dashboard for detailed analytics including time-series trends, score breakdowns, and AI-generated market reports.
Counties in the Carroll, IA metro area
ZIP codes in the Carroll, IA metro area
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Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carroll, IA a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Carroll, IA currently scores 50, a steady-momentum reading that leaves it tracking close to its state average. For buyers, a balanced market means neither side holds a decisive edge, giving you time to shop carefully without racing the clock. Backing that up, the median home value here is $176K. So whether Carroll, IA is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Carroll, IA?
Carroll, IA's PropertyIQ Score is 50, indicating steady momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 50 places Carroll, IA right at its state benchmark.
How quickly do homes sell in Carroll, IA?
In Carroll, IA, homes sell in a median of 52 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 23% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Carroll, IA market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.