Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0782 homes sold in Council Bluffs in the last year, at a typical $226K
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 Council Bluffs homes are listed.
Every place Council Bluffs 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 Council Bluffs.
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.
2% of Council Bluffs’ sales are condos, at $42K more than a house
778 houses and 13 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Condos sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 778 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $154IA $158
- Days to sell
- 30
- Sold over asking
- 30%
- Listings with a price cut
- 30%
typical sale · 13 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $165IA $165
- Days to sell
- 15
- Sold over asking
- 38%
- Listings with a price cut
- 100%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 16 sold, typical $183K
Townhouses: 24 sold, typical $284K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at twice the 2016 price
782 sales in the last year, against 1,135 in 2021 and a low of 129 in 2012. The typical sale went from $118K in 2016 to $226K.
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 $250K buys in Council Bluffs
Check a listing against what Council Bluffs 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 Council Bluffs are back to pre-pandemic levels, but 43% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Council Bluffs’ 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, 782 sales.
If you’re buying in Council Bluffs
- Shop in October. It brings about 95 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (29% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.6% of the list price on average; 28% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
April has the most new listings (about 107 a month), but May is the most competitive: 38% of May sales close over asking. September and October offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (31%). January has the least competition (20%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than Iowa
| Council Bluffs now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 28% | 25% | 43% | 20% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 53% | 7% | 9% | 35% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.6% | 98.1% | 100.3% | 97.5% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 29 | 54 | 43 | 46 |
118 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.5 times the 2023 low (76), 43% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2014’s 358.
Since 2019, houses are up 60%, condos 44%
A house typically sold for $222K in the year to May 2026 (778 sales), a condo for $264K (13).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Council Bluffs ranks 12th of 91 busy Iowa markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Council Bluffs is one of the state’s hottest markets.
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 Council Bluffs home costs about $1,515 a month
Price: Council Bluffs’ typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Council Bluffs’ 1.8% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Council Bluffs is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in April
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 47.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $226K home, about $4,020 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Council Bluffs, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Council BluffsTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Council Bluffs.
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.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Council Bluffs, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | 5,188 | $285K | $158 | 51% | 21 |
| Council Bluffs | 782 | $226K | $152 | 28% | 29 |
| Bellevue | 762 | $292K | $155 | 61% | 18 |
| Papillion | 281 | $351K | $159 | 64% | 20 |
| La Vista | 157 | $278K | $170 | 69% | 18 |
| Ralston | 86 | $257K | $161 | 54% | 16 |
| Carter Lake | 42 | $238K | $159 | 26% | 40 |
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 Council Bluffs, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Council Bluffs. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Council Bluffs with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Council Bluffs
What do homes sell for in Council Bluffs, IA?
782 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $226K, $152 a square foot. Houses sold for about $222K, condos for about $264K in the year to May 2026.
Is Council Bluffs a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 110 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 61 sold, about 1.8 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.6% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Council Bluffs?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Council Bluffs?
About 1.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $226K home that’s near $4,020.
Where can I see homes for sale in Council Bluffs?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Council Bluffs’ MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Council Bluffs.
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).