Photo: David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA · CC BY 2.0886 homes sold in Waterloo in the last year, at a typical $177K
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 Waterloo homes are listed.
Every place Waterloo 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 Waterloo.
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.
8% of Waterloo’s sales are condos, at $12K more than a house
786 houses and 71 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 786 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $119IA $158
- Days to sell
- 19
- Sold over asking
- 32%
- Listings with a price cut
- 33%
typical sale · 71 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $125IA $165
- Days to sell
- 35
- Sold over asking
- 25%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 25 sold, typical $150K
Townhouses: 4 sold, typical $53K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.6 times the 2016 price
886 sales in the last year, against 1,154 in 2021 and a low of 491 in 2015. The typical sale went from $110K in 2016 to $177K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $200K buys in Waterloo
Check a listing against what Waterloo 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 Waterloo are more common than before the pandemic, but a third fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Waterloo’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 May 2026, 886 sales.
If you’re buying in Waterloo
- Shop in March. It brings about 89 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (23% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.5% of the list price on average; 31% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Summer brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 100 a month), but August is the most competitive: 33% of August sales close over asking. March offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (23%). January has the least competition (18%) but only about 58 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and hotter than Iowa
| Waterloo now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 31% | 16% | 38% | 22% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 49% | 2% | 2% | 36% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 31% | — | — | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.5% | 96.1% | 98.2% | 97.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 20 | 72 | 54 | 45 |
163 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2023 low (83), 32% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2017’s 264.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
31% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 27% across Iowa.
Since 2019, houses are up 48%, condos 40%
A house typically sold for $174K in the last year (786 sales), a condo for $186K (71).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Waterloo ranks 6th of 64 busy Iowa markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Waterloo is one of the state’s hottest markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2015 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Waterloo home costs about $1,165 a month
Price: Waterloo’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Waterloo’s 1.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Waterloo 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 50.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $177K home, about $2,890 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Waterloo, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in WaterlooTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Waterloo.
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.
La Porte City sells for less a square foot; Cedar Falls, Hudson and Denver for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Waterloo, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo | 886 | $177K | $119 | 31% | 20 |
| Cedar Falls | 526 | $283K | $152 | 33% | 22 |
| Waverly | 139 | $262K | $139 | 22% | 27 |
| Evansdale | 57 | $157K | $133 | 32% | 30 |
| La Porte City | 38 | $149K | $96 | 29% | 47 |
| Hudson | 27 | $361K | $152 | 19% | 35 |
| Denver | 24 | $256K | $152 | 17% | 33 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Waterloo, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Waterloo. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Waterloo with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Waterloo
What do homes sell for in Waterloo, IA?
886 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $177K, $119 a square foot. Houses sold for about $174K, condos for about $186K.
Is Waterloo a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 132 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 84 sold, about 1.6 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.5% of asking on average, and 31% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Waterloo?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Waterloo?
About 1.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $177K home that’s near $2,890.
Where can I see homes for sale in Waterloo?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Waterloo’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Waterloo.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). 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).