Iowa · 295th largest metro area

Buying a home in Sioux City, Iowa

In Sioux City, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $173,600, Woodbury County's effective property tax rate is 1.45%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $4,757 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $976 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Sioux City home costs, fact by fact

About Sioux City

Sioux City is the first-named place in the title of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area, ranked 295th in the country. Woodbury County's effective property tax rate (median tax as a share of home value) is 1.45%, and HUD's two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,194.

Reading the Sioux City figures

Sioux City's owner-estimated median of $173,600 is below the $237,000 given for Iowa, and lower than Des Moines, which reports $194,700, and Cedar Rapids, which reports $187,100. Davenport reports $166,400, which is lower still. Rent of $976 a month sits close to Davenport's $978 and Cedar Rapids' $967, and below HUD's Fair Market Rent of $1,194 for Woodbury County, whose larger-unit benchmark is $1,447. Owners hold 65.3% of homes, above Des Moines at 60.5% and below Cedar Rapids at 68.5%. Woodbury County's 1.45% rate comes from $2,656 a year in tax on a home worth $183,200. Across 719 mortgages originated in 2025, up-front loan expenses were typically $4,757, and the central band runs from $3,543 to $6,817.

Metro context adds a little. The Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area holds 145,994 residents and ranks 295th, while the city itself has 86,875. Des Moines reports rent of $1,090, above Sioux City's $976.

Calculate for Iowa

If you buy

Iowa state transfer tax

Real estate transfer tax (Iowa Code chapter 428A): $0.80 for each $500, or fraction of $500, above the first $500 (about $1.60 per $1,000).

Price$237,000
State transfer taxnot computed
Who paysThe seller

Default price: the Iowa median value of owner-occupied homes, $237,000 (Census ACS 2025). Not computed: Tax = $0.80 x number of $500 blocks (a fraction counts as a full block) in the price above the first $500. Example: $300,000 gives 599 blocks x $0.80 = $479.20. Personal property stated on the deed is deducted first. Consideration of $500 or less is exempt. Who pays: By statute the person who conveys the property, normally the seller, is liable (428A.3); the contract can allocate it differently. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Iowa transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Iowa state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Sioux City

How much is property tax in Sioux City?

Homeowners in Woodbury County pay a median $2,656 a year in property tax, 1.45% of the county median home value of $183,200 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Sioux City?

Home-purchase mortgages in Woodbury County carried median total loan costs of $4,757 in 2025; half of the 719 loans fell between $3,543 and $6,817 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Sioux City?

Iowa taxes real estate transfers at $0.80 for each $500 of price above the first $500, or $1.60 per $1,000, which is $479.20 on a $300,000 home. By law the seller, as the person conveying, is liable.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sioux City?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Sioux City ($173,600) equals 14.8 years of the median gross rent ($976 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Iowa rules that apply in Sioux City

Other large cities in Iowa

Who licenses each trade in Iowa · All covered cities

Sources

Iowa · All states · Federal guides