Housing data for Fort Madison, IA
Fort Madison, IA has an estimated 10,133 residents and 5,030 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Lee County.
27.6% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $826 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−3.6%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 10,133 (±27)
- Housing units
- 5,030 (±221)
- Households that rent
- 27.6%
- Median gross rent
- $826
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −3.6%
What stands out in Fort Madison
Median home value: $94,200 (±$9,755) in Fort Madison, lower than in Lee County ($141,400).
Median real estate taxes: $1,420 (±$111) in Fort Madison, lower than in Lee County ($1,955).
Households that moved in since 2020: 26.7% (±5.3 points) in Fort Madison, higher than in Lee County (20.3%).
Median household income: $50,705 (±$5,175) in Fort Madison, lower than in Lee County ($62,382).
- Home values in Fort Madison
- Property taxes in Fort Madison
- How long people stay in Fort Madison
- Income and affordability in Fort Madison
Housing in Fort Madison at a glance
- Median rent: $826 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $853 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 51.5% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 27.6% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $50,705 median household income
- Home values: $94,200 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,021 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,420 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 9.4% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 52.3% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 86.6% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 6.0% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 71.8% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 23.1 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 323 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −3.6% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 26.7% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Fort Madison against Lee County, its state and the nation
| Fort Madison | Lee County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,133 (±27) | 32,893 (exact) | 3,210,507 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 5,030 (±221) | 15,794 (±37) | 1,437,699 (±523) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 27.6% (±4.6 points) | 23.7% (±2.2 points) | 28.3% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $826 (±$106) | $835 (±$40) | $972 (±$6) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $50,705 (±$5,175) | $62,382 (±$3,274) | $75,059 (±$418) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $94,200 (±$9,755) | $141,400 (±$10,936) | $208,000 (±$1,141) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,420 (±$111) | $1,955 (±$79) | $2,897 (±$13) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 86.6% (±8.6 points) | 77.2% (±4.1 points) | 61.5% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 23.1 minutes (±3.6) | 20.4 minutes (±1.3) | 19.8 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 80.9% (±4.1 points) | 86.6% (±1.8 points) | 88.9% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 42.1 years (±2.6) | 43.6 years (±0.5) | 38.6 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Fort Madison covers 9.7 square miles of land, about 1,050 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Fort Madison has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,513 (±20) | 10,133 (±27) | −3.6% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 5,017 (±228) | 5,030 (±221) | +0.3% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $709 (±$66) | $826 (±$106) | +16.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $81,600 (±$5,279) | $94,200 (±$9,755) | +15.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $42,694 (±$3,033) | $50,705 (±$5,175) | +18.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $883 (±$60) | $1,021 (±$102) | +15.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,342 (±$80) | $1,420 (±$111) | +5.8% | Down after inflation |
| Households that rent | 27.1% (±3.9 points) | 27.6% (±4.6 points) | +0.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 18.1% (±8.5 points) | 6.0% (±5.5 points) | −12.1 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
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 Madison
In 2025, the Fort Madison Police Department reported 323 violent and 1,788 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Lee County, the departments that report recorded 199 violent and 1,088 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Fort Madison
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52627 | 14% | 12,677 | $822 | $116,500 | $56,401 |
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 Madison
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appanoose Township | 3.6 mi | — | $168,800 | 5.7% |
| Nauvoo Township | 5.2 mi | $796 | $162,000 | 16.4% |
| Nauvoo | 5.7 mi | $775 | $156,700 | 14.4% |
| Pontoosuc Township | 6.8 mi | — | $153,700 | 1.6% |
| Pontoosuc | 7.1 mi | — | $66,700 | 4.0% |
| Montrose | 7.6 mi | $625 | $103,500 | 9.3% |
| Sonora Township | 8.4 mi | — | $161,400 | 4.1% |
| West Point | 8.5 mi | $617 | $178,700 | 22.0% |
Places in Iowa most like Fort Madison
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwell City | $796 | $88,500 | $56,741 | 26.1% |
| Estherville | $754 | $101,400 | $54,124 | 26.3% |
| Steamboat Rock | $771 | $105,800 | $47,188 | 26.0% |
| Casey | $857 | $96,600 | $58,438 | 28.4% |
| Elma | $689 | $81,300 | $44,375 | 31.2% |
| Oelwein | $847 | $96,300 | $46,653 | 23.4% |
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 Madison, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $680 | $746 | $976 | $1,295 | $1,448 |
HUD income limits for Fort Madison, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $19,800 | $32,950 | $52,750 |
| 2 people | $22,600 | $37,650 | $60,250 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $42,350 | $67,800 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $47,050 | $75,300 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $50,850 | $81,350 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $54,600 | $87,350 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $58,350 | $93,400 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $62,150 | $99,400 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Lee County, IA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $84,700.
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 Madison
What is the average rent in Fort Madison, IA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Fort Madison is $826 (±$106) 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 Madison?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Fort Madison, IA is $381 (±$116) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Fort Madison rent-burdened?
51.5% of renting households in Fort Madison 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 Madison?
Fort Madison has an estimated 1,254 (±218) renting households, 27.6% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Fort Madison?
The median household income in Fort Madison is $50,705 (±$5,175) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Fort Madison, IA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $94,200 (±$9,755) for owner-occupied homes in Fort Madison (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Fort Madison growing?
In Fort Madison, the number of residents went from 10,513 in 2015–2019 to 10,133 in 2020–2024 (−3.6%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Fort Madison?
The ZIP code that covers Fort Madison is 52627.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 52627?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 52627 is $822 (±$118) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Madison city, Iowa
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Madison city, Iowa
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Madison city, Iowa
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Madison city, Iowa
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Madison city, Iowa
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Madison city, Iowa
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Madison city, Iowa
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Lee County, IA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Lee 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 Madison Police Department (ORI IA0560100)
- 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 Madison city, Iowa (place:28605, 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 .