Photo: Bill Whittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0138 homes sold in Clear Lake in the last year, at a typical $337K
About one sale in 6 is a condo. 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 Clear Lake homes are listed.
Every place Clear Lake 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 Clear Lake.
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.
18% of Clear Lake’s sales are condos, at $70K more than a house
107 houses and 23 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster.
typical sale · 107 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $183IA $158
- Days to sell
- 84
- Sold over asking
- 8%
- Listings with a price cut
- 30%
typical sale · 23 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $265IA $165
- Days to sell
- 214
- Sold over asking
- 9%
- Listings with a price cut
- 15%
About as many homes sell as usual, at twice the 2016 price
138 sales in the last year, against 181 in 2015 and a low of 100 in 2022. The typical sale went from $157K in 2016 to $337K.
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 Clear Lake
Check a listing against what Clear Lake 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 Clear Lake are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Clear Lake’s home sales since 2015 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, 138 sales.
If you’re buying in Clear Lake
- Shop in April. It brings about 17 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (10% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 95.8% of the list price on average; 9% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 32% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 84 days.
Summer brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 20 a month), but July is the most competitive: 20% of July sales close over asking. April offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (10%). April has the least competition (10%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than Iowa
| Clear Lake now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 9% | 11% | 29% | 20% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 32% | 1% | 1% | 35% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 95.8% | 96.2% | 97.9% | 97.5% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 84 | 126 | 76 | 46 |
72 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.4 times the 2021 low (30), about the 2017–19 level and well under 2015’s 98.
Houses and condos, year by year
A house typically sold for $317K in the year to May 2026 (107 sales), a condo for $387K (23).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Clear Lake ranks 81st of 91 busy Iowa markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Clear Lake is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2015 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 Clear Lake home costs about $2,116 a month
Price: Clear Lake’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Clear Lake’s 1.3% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Clear Lake is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 6.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $337K home, about $4,290 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Clear Lake, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Clear LakeTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Clear Lake.
Work & commuteCheck 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.
Mason City, Garner, Forest City, Britt, Northwood and Belmond sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Clear Lake, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason City | 394 | $168K | $112 | 19% | 58 |
| Clear Lake | 138 | $337K | $206 | 9% | 84 |
| Forest City | 47 | $144K | $96 | 13% | 60 |
| Garner | 41 | $218K | $132 | 10% | 54 |
| Belmond | 28 | $156K | $79 | 5% | 93 |
| Northwood | 27 | $158K | $87 | 32% | 63 |
| Britt | 23 | $110K | $73 | 9% | 37 |
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 Clear Lake, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Clear Lake. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Clear Lake with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Clear Lake
What do homes sell for in Clear Lake, IA?
138 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $337K, $206 a square foot. Houses sold for about $317K, condos for about $387K in the year to May 2026.
Is Clear Lake a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A buyer’s market: 87 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 14 sold, about 6.2 months of supply. Buyers paid 95.8% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Clear Lake?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Clear Lake?
About 1.3% of a home’s value a year. On a $337K home that’s near $4,290.
Where can I see homes for sale in Clear Lake?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Clear Lake’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Clear Lake.
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).