Measured against area pay, Remsen costs less to live in than 94% of U.S. towns
Up 4.9% in a year, 19% above the Iowa typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Le Mars, IA micro area ($83K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Le Mars-area micro earn ($83K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.2 years of area income, and 10% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $280Ktypical home, 19% above the Iowa typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,080a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.2 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$83K, Le Mars-area income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 15%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What’s behind Remsen’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Remsen is more affordable than 94% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Values have outpaced Iowa: the typical Remsen home is up 37.4% in five years, against 25.9% statewide (Zillow).
Up 37.4% in five years
Faster than Iowa (25.9%).
Show as a table
| January | Remsen | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $156,000 | $145,000 |
| 2018 | $161,000 | $150,000 |
| 2019 | $165,000 | $157,000 |
| 2020 | $175,000 | $165,000 |
| 2021 | $189,000 | $176,000 |
| 2022 | $212,000 | $193,000 |
| 2023 | $237,000 | $208,000 |
| 2024 | $241,000 | $215,000 |
| 2025 | $259,000 | $225,000 |
| 2026 | $270,000 | $233,000 |
| September 2026 | $280,000 | $237,000 |
A typical Remsen home worth $153K in October 2016 is worth about $280K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.2 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Remsen’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Remsen home, with $34K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,080 a month here, $650 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Remsen’s typical property tax (1.10% 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 $1,080
Renters already here pay a median of $938, 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 (Cherokee County, IA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
1 new home permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 1 new home in Remsen in 2025. That's 0.5 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Iowa (4.7). Over the past 10 years, Remsen has permitted 13 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Remsen gained 15 residents while 8 new homes were permitted: about 1.9 new residents per new home, more than across Iowa (1.3): growth outpaced building.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 1 | 1 | 0 | $700,000 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $700,000 |
| 2024 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2021 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $240,000 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $240,000 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $177,000 |
| 2010 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $784,000 |
| 2009 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $604,000 |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $430,000 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $195,000 |
| 2006 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $410,000 |
| 2005 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $507,000 |
| 2004 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $652,000 |
| 2003 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $370,000 |
| 2002 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $510,000 |
| 2001 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $425,000 |
| 2000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $245,000 |
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 $2,052 (Iowa: $2,897), 1.10% 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+”.
Remsen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remsen | A | $280K | $186K | 1.10% | $1,080 |
Questions about the cost of living in Remsen
Is Remsen expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Remsen costs less than 94% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.2 years of the median household income of the Le Mars, IA micro area ($83K).
How much does a house cost in Remsen?
About $280K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 4.9% in a year. The Iowa typical home is $237K.
What salary do you need to live in Remsen?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $74,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,730 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $43,000.
How much is rent in Remsen?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,080 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $938 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Remsen?
The median bill is $2,052 a year, 1.10% of the median home value (Iowa: $2,897, 1.39%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Remsen going up?
Yes: up 4.9% in the past year and 37.4% in five years, against 25.9% across Iowa (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Remsen 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. 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.