Housing data for Story City, IA
Story City, IA has an estimated 3,398 residents and 1,476 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Story County.
21.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $999 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 3,398 (±23)
- Housing units
- 1,476 (±158)
- Households that rent
- 21.2%
- Median gross rent
- $999
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +0.6%
What stands out in Story City
Households that rent: 21.2% (±8.4 points) in Story City, lower than in Story County (44.5%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 14.2% (±8.2 points) in Story City, lower than in Story County (32.0%).
Median household income: $96,605 (±$20,622) in Story City, higher than in Story County ($69,685).
Households that moved in since 2020: 21.8% (±9.1 points) in Story City, lower than in Story County (36.9%).
- Renters and owners in Story City
- Types of homes in Story City
- Income and affordability in Story City
- How long people stay in Story City
Housing in Story City at a glance
- Median rent: $999 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $997 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 55.4% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 21.2% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $96,605 median household income
- Home values: $215,600 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,451 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,851 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 14.2% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 60.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 59.6% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 15.9% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 76.7% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 23.4 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 58 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +0.6% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 21.8% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Story City against Story County, its state and the nation
| Story City | Story County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,398 (±23) | 100,466 (exact) | 3,210,507 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,476 (±158) | 41,887 (±101) | 1,437,699 (±523) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 21.2% (±8.4 points) | 44.5% (±1.6 points) | 28.3% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $999 (±$119) | $1,018 (±$35) | $972 (±$6) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $96,605 (±$20,622) | $69,685 (±$2,902) | $75,059 (±$418) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $215,600 (±$25,048) | $258,700 (±$8,356) | $208,000 (±$1,141) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,851 (±$236) | $3,632 (±$107) | $2,897 (±$13) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 59.6% (±13.8 points) | 46.7% (±2.2 points) | 61.5% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 23.4 minutes (±6.2) | 17.8 minutes (±0.6) | 19.8 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.0% (±4.4 points) | 80.4% (±1.6 points) | 88.9% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 38.7 years (±3.3) | 26.9 years (±0.3) | 38.6 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Story City covers 3.0 square miles of land, about 1,144 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Story City has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,377 (±19) | 3,398 (±23) | +0.6% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 1,615 (±131) | 1,476 (±158) | −8.6% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $736 (±$81) | $999 (±$119) | +35.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $145,500 (±$15,569) | $215,600 (±$25,048) | +48.2% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $77,656 (±$19,474) | $96,605 (±$20,622) | +24.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,165 (±$100) | $1,451 (±$118) | +24.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,958 (±$169) | $2,851 (±$236) | +45.6% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 27.2% (±6.8 points) | 21.2% (±8.4 points) | −6.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 19.3% (±18.7 points) | 15.9% (±21.4 points) | −3.4 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 Story City
In 2025, the Story City Police Department reported 58 violent and 953 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Story County, the departments that report recorded 93 violent and 1,037 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Story City
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randall | 3.6 mi | — | $110,800 | 6.6% |
| Roland | 4.5 mi | $1,375 | $185,900 | 11.8% |
| Gilbert | 6.3 mi | $865 | $274,600 | 13.2% |
| Ellsworth | 8.6 mi | $875 | $149,000 | 21.6% |
| Jewell Junction | 9.1 mi | $906 | $148,100 | 16.9% |
| McCallsburg | 10 mi | $676 | $168,600 | 30.0% |
| Ames | 11 mi | $1,023 | $277,400 | 57.9% |
| Radcliffe | 12 mi | $519 | $118,300 | 20.8% |
Places in Iowa most like Story City
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeWitt | $955 | $237,100 | $92,587 | 20.6% |
| Farley | $991 | $266,000 | $97,143 | 26.1% |
| Lawton | $959 | $254,200 | $86,875 | 23.0% |
| Carlisle | $1,000 | $234,300 | $109,191 | 16.0% |
| Lone Tree | $963 | $179,800 | $90,625 | 16.1% |
| Underwood | $1,063 | $253,500 | $105,341 | 16.5% |
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 Story City, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $891 | $944 | $1,061 | $1,469 | $1,768 |
HUD income limits for Story City, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $25,700 | $42,850 | $68,550 |
| 2 people | $29,400 | $49,000 | $78,350 |
| 3 people | $33,050 | $55,100 | $88,150 |
| 4 people | $36,700 | $61,200 | $97,900 |
| 5 people | $39,650 | $66,100 | $105,750 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $71,000 | $113,600 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $75,900 | $121,400 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $80,800 | $129,250 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Ames, IA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $122,400.
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.
What you can do on Seayora in Story City
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Story City beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Story City, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Story City, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Story City
What is the average rent in Story City, IA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Story City is $999 (±$119) 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 Story City?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Story City, IA is $575 (±$337) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Story City?
Story City has an estimated 301 (±122) renting households, 21.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Story City?
The median household income in Story City is $96,605 (±$20,622) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Story City, IA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $215,600 (±$25,048) for owner-occupied homes in Story City (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Story City?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Story City, IA is $1,451 (±$118) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
Is Story City growing?
In Story City, the number of residents went from 3,377 in 2015–2019 to 3,398 in 2020–2024 (+0.6%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Story City city, Iowa
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Story City city, Iowa
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Story City city, Iowa
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Story City city, Iowa
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Story City city, Iowa
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Story City city, Iowa
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Story City city, Iowa
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Ames, IA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Ames, IA HUD Metro FMR Area
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Story City Police Department (ORI IA0850300)
- 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 Story City city, Iowa (place:75675, 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 .