Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Mapleton costs less to live in than 95% of U.S. towns
About the same as a year ago, 27% below the Iowa typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Monona County, IA ($68K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 2 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across Monona County earn ($68K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.7 years of area income, and 60% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $172Ktypical home, 27% below the Iowa typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $960a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$68K, Monona County income
- 15%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What kind of housing town is Mapleton?
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
What’s behind Mapleton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Mapleton is more affordable than 95% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Iowa: up 21.8% in five years, against 25.9% statewide (Zillow).
Up 21.8% in five years
Slower than Iowa (25.9%).
Show as a table
| January | Mapleton | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $108,000 | $145,000 |
| 2018 | $111,000 | $150,000 |
| 2019 | $113,000 | $157,000 |
| 2020 | $119,000 | $165,000 |
| 2021 | $129,000 | $176,000 |
| 2022 | $146,000 | $193,000 |
| 2023 | $154,000 | $208,000 |
| 2024 | $160,000 | $215,000 |
| 2025 | $173,000 | $225,000 |
| 2026 | $173,000 | $233,000 |
| September 2026 | $172,000 | $237,000 |
A typical Mapleton home worth $101K in October 2016 is worth about $172K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 1.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Mapleton’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Mapleton home, with $83K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $960 a month here, $110 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Mapleton’s typical property tax (1.16% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $960
Renters already here pay a median of $846, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Sioux City, IA-NE-SD MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Mapleton in 2025. The last year with any was 2023 (2 new homes).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Mapleton's population fell by 59 even though 29 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Iowa: 1.3 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $520,000 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 2 | $700,000 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 2 | $450,000 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $70,000 |
| 2013 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $642,000 |
| 2012 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $505,000 |
| 2011 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $170,000 |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $150,000 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2007 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $180,000 |
| 2005 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $365,000 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $170,000 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 4 | 1 | 3 | $309,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Iowa norm
The median bill is $1,313 (Iowa: $2,897), 1.16% of a home’s value a year, against 1.39% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Mapleton and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mapleton | A | $172K | $113K | 1.16% | $960 |
Questions about the cost of living in Mapleton
Is Mapleton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Mapleton costs less than 95% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living. The typical home costs 1.7 years of the median household income of Monona County, IA ($68K).
How much does a house cost in Mapleton?
About $172K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 0.1% in a year. The Iowa typical home is $237K.
What salary do you need to live in Mapleton?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $46,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,070 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $38,000.
How much is rent in Mapleton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $960 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $846 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Mapleton?
The median bill is $1,313 a year, 1.16% of the median home value (Iowa: $2,897, 1.39%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Mapleton going up?
No: down 0.1% in the past year and 21.8% in five years, against 25.9% across Iowa (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Mapleton buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.