Housing data for Fort Dodge, IA
Fort Dodge, IA has an estimated 24,827 residents and 11,475 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Webster County.
35.6% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $785 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+2.3%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 24,827 (±47)
- Housing units
- 11,475 (±193)
- Households that rent
- 35.6%
- Median gross rent
- $785
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +2.3%
What stands out in Fort Dodge
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 14.1% (±2.4 points) in Fort Dodge, higher than in Webster County (10.2%).
Households that rent: 35.6% (±3.9 points) in Fort Dodge, higher than in Webster County (29.7%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 30.2% (±3.5 points) in Fort Dodge, higher than in Webster County (24.6%).
Median real estate taxes: $2,439 (±$174) in Fort Dodge, higher than in Webster County ($2,138).
- Types of homes in Fort Dodge
- Renters and owners in Fort Dodge
- How long people stay in Fort Dodge
- Property taxes in Fort Dodge
Housing in Fort Dodge at a glance
- Median rent: $785 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $806 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 44.6% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 35.6% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $60,649 median household income
- Home values: $144,100 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,260 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,439 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 14.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 49.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 77.5% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.9% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 70.5% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 19.0 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 940 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +2.3% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 30.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Fort Dodge against Webster County, its state and the nation
| Fort Dodge | Webster County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 24,827 (±47) | 36,886 (exact) | 3,210,507 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 11,475 (±193) | 17,082 (±72) | 1,437,699 (±523) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 35.6% (±3.9 points) | 29.7% (±2.7 points) | 28.3% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $785 (±$35) | $785 (±$36) | $972 (±$6) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $60,649 (±$6,463) | $68,975 (±$4,434) | $75,059 (±$418) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $144,100 (±$11,581) | $153,800 (±$5,022) | $208,000 (±$1,141) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,439 (±$174) | $2,138 (±$125) | $2,897 (±$13) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 77.5% (±5.1 points) | 77.9% (±3.9 points) | 61.5% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 19.0 minutes (±2.3) | 20.2 minutes (±1.6) | 19.8 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 85.9% (±2.3 points) | 87.3% (±1.8 points) | 88.9% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 37.6 years (±1.5) | 39.7 years (±0.5) | 38.6 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Fort Dodge covers 16.0 square miles of land, about 1,551 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Fort Dodge has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 24,278 (±47) | 24,827 (±47) | +2.3% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 11,171 (±204) | 11,475 (±193) | +2.7% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $652 (±$26) | $785 (±$35) | +20.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $93,600 (±$5,462) | $144,100 (±$11,581) | +54.0% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $40,886 (±$2,945) | $60,649 (±$6,463) | +48.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,066 (±$66) | $1,260 (±$74) | +18.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,782 (±$124) | $2,439 (±$174) | +36.9% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 39.2% (±3.1 points) | 35.6% (±3.9 points) | −3.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.7% (±2.4 points) | 3.9% (±2.3 points) | −0.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Fort Dodge
In 2025, the Fort Dodge Police Department reported 940 violent and 2,848 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Webster County, the departments that report recorded 730 violent and 2,065 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Fort Dodge
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50501 | 11% | 28,823 | $796 | $153,500 | $66,888 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Fort Dodge
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otho | 6.2 mi | $665 | $89,900 | 27.5% |
| Badger | 7.4 mi | $750 | $142,800 | 14.4% |
| Moorland | 7.7 mi | — | $105,900 | 9.3% |
| Duncombe | 9.5 mi | $656 | $117,100 | 43.0% |
| Barnum | 9.7 mi | — | $135,600 | 4.2% |
| Vincent | 9.8 mi | $630 | $102,100 | 17.1% |
| Clare | 10 mi | $656 | $72,500 | 25.0% |
| Callender | 12 mi | $444 | $107,100 | 13.3% |
Places in Iowa most like Fort Dodge
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | $791 | $118,200 | $60,230 | 30.9% |
| Webster City | $907 | $127,200 | $63,430 | 35.7% |
| Newton | $819 | $153,700 | $57,771 | 38.5% |
| Manchester | $802 | $139,400 | $61,191 | 33.7% |
| Marshalltown | $891 | $127,700 | $69,068 | 31.2% |
| Washington | $968 | $152,300 | $55,373 | 36.8% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Iowa.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Fort Dodge, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $667 | $709 | $927 | $1,191 | $1,549 |
HUD income limits for Fort Dodge, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $20,650 | $34,450 | $55,100 |
| 2 people | $23,600 | $39,400 | $63,000 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $44,300 | $70,850 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $49,200 | $78,700 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $53,150 | $85,000 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $57,100 | $91,300 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $61,050 | $97,600 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $64,950 | $103,900 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Webster County, IA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $98,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Fort Dodge
What is the average rent in Fort Dodge, IA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Fort Dodge is $785 (±$35) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Fort Dodge?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Fort Dodge, IA is $605 (±$106) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Fort Dodge rent-burdened?
44.6% of renting households in Fort Dodge pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Fort Dodge?
Fort Dodge has an estimated 3,653 (±444) renting households, 35.6% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Fort Dodge?
The median household income in Fort Dodge is $60,649 (±$6,463) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Fort Dodge, IA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $144,100 (±$11,581) for owner-occupied homes in Fort Dodge (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Fort Dodge growing?
In Fort Dodge, the number of residents went from 24,278 in 2015–2019 to 24,827 in 2020–2024 (+2.3%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Fort Dodge?
The ZIP code that covers Fort Dodge is 50501.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 50501?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 50501 is $796 (±$40) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Dodge city, Iowa
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Dodge city, Iowa
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Dodge city, Iowa
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Dodge city, Iowa
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Dodge city, Iowa
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Dodge city, Iowa
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Dodge city, Iowa
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Webster County, IA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Webster County, IA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Fort Dodge Police Department (ORI IA0940100)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Fort Dodge city, Iowa (place:28515, in state:19).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .