Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0454 homes sold in Altoona in the last year, at a typical $340K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Altoona homes are listed.
Every place Altoona homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Altoona.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
13% of Altoona’s sales are condos, at $125K less than a house
370 houses and 58 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 370 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $229IA $158
- Days to sell
- 73
- Sold over asking
- 24%
- Listings with a price cut
- 35%
typical sale · 58 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $176IA $165
- Days to sell
- 89
- Sold over asking
- 14%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
Townhouses: 2 sold, typical $195K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.7 times the 2016 price
454 sales in the last year, against 520 in 2020 and a low of 261 in 2012. The typical sale went from $201K in 2016 to $340K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $350K buys in Altoona
Check a listing against what Altoona homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Altoona are rarer than before the pandemic, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Altoona’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to September 2026, 454 sales.
If you’re buying in Altoona
- Shop in March. It brings about 49 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (29% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.3% of the list price on average; 22% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 24% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 72 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 53 a month), and the most competition: 33% close over asking. March and April offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (29%). January has the least competition (25%) but only about 30 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like Iowa as a whole
| Altoona now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 22% | 27% | 45% | 20% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 24% | 24% | 54% | 35% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.3% | 99.4% | 100.5% | 97.5% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 72 | 59 | 24 | 46 |
130 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.5 times the 2022 low (87) and about the 2017–19 level.
Since 2019, houses are up 40%, condos 17%
A house typically sold for $345K in the year to May 2026 (370 sales), a condo for $221K (58).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Altoona ranks 34th of 91 busy Iowa markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Altoona is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Altoona home costs about $2,227 a month
Price: Altoona’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Altoona’s 1.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Altoona is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 21.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $340K home, about $5,450 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Altoona, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in AltoonaCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Pleasant Hill, Mitchellville and Des Moines sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Altoona, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 2,878 | $219K | $194 | 19% | 34 |
| Ankeny | 1,627 | $337K | $225 | 19% | 52 |
| Altoona | 454 | $340K | $229 | 22% | 72 |
| Bondurant | 244 | $335K | $226 | 20% | 62 |
| Pleasant Hill | 155 | $315K | $211 | 14% | 59 |
| Saylorville | 38 | $355K | $245 | 7% | 52 |
| Mitchellville | 26 | $256K | $179 | 21% | 35 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Altoona, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Altoona. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Altoona with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Altoona
What do homes sell for in Altoona, IA?
454 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $340K, $229 a square foot. Houses sold for about $345K, condos for about $221K in the year to May 2026.
Is Altoona a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 138 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 39 sold, about 3.5 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.3% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Altoona?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Altoona?
About 1.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $340K home that’s near $5,450.
Where can I see homes for sale in Altoona?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Altoona’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Altoona.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).