Dahlonega School #1 · Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0267 homes sold in Ottumwa in the last year, at a typical $133K
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 Ottumwa homes are listed.
Every place Ottumwa 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 Ottumwa.
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.
Houses are 98% of Ottumwa’s sales, at a typical $122K (year to May 2026)
267 homes sold in the year to September 2026.
typical sale · 247 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $98IA $158
- Days to sell
- 60
- Sold over asking
- 11%
- Listings with a price cut
- 31%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 1 sold, typical $170K
Condos: 3 sold, typical $396K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.9 times the 2016 price
267 sales in the last year, against 328 in 2021 and a low of 258 in 2025. The typical sale went from $71K in 2016 to $133K.
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 $150K buys in Ottumwa
Check a listing against what Ottumwa 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 Ottumwa are back to pre-pandemic levels, but 44% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Ottumwa’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, 267 sales.
If you’re buying in Ottumwa
- Shop in October. It brings about 27 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (8% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 94.8% of the list price on average; 10% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 33% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 56 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
April has the most new listings (about 33 a month), but July is the most competitive: 17% of July sales close over asking. October offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (8%). October has the least competition (8%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and calmer than Iowa
| Ottumwa now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 10% | 8% | 18% | 20% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 33% | 4% | 3% | 35% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 94.8% | 92.9% | 95.4% | 97.5% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 56 | 112 | 77 | 46 |
85 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.7 times the 2023 low (51), 44% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2015’s 204.
Ottumwa ranks 79th of 91 busy Iowa markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Ottumwa 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 Ottumwa home costs about $887 a month
Price: Ottumwa’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Ottumwa’s 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 Ottumwa 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 16.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $133K home, about $2,320 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Ottumwa, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in OttumwaCheck 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.
Albia sells for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Ottumwa, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa | 267 | $133K | $107 | 10% | 56 |
| Fairfield | 138 | $171K | $120 | 7% | 76 |
| Oskaloosa | 136 | $176K | $122 | 22% | 46 |
| Bloomfield | 47 | $168K | $108 | 15% | 56 |
| Albia | 36 | $144K | $98 | 17% | 62 |
| Sigourney | 23 | $154K | $112 | 7% | 60 |
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 Ottumwa, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Ottumwa. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Ottumwa with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Ottumwa
What do homes sell for in Ottumwa, IA?
267 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $133K, $107 a square foot.
Is Ottumwa a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 94 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 29 sold, about 3.2 months of supply. Buyers paid 94.8% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Ottumwa?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Ottumwa?
About 1.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $133K home that’s near $2,320.
Where can I see homes for sale in Ottumwa?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Ottumwa’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Ottumwa.
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).