Photo: en:User:Cburnett · CC BY-SA 3.094 homes sold in Winterset in the last year, at a typical $252K
About one sale in 6 is a condo. 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 Winterset homes are listed.
Every place Winterset 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 Winterset.
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.
16% of Winterset’s sales are condos, at $37K less than a house
79 houses and 15 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 79 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $178IA $158
- Days to sell
- 49
- Sold over asking
- 13%
- Listings with a price cut
- 31%
typical sale · 15 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $182IA $165
- Days to sell
- 65
- Sold over asking
- 0%
- Listings with a price cut
- 45%
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.6 times the 2016 price
94 sales in the last year, against 150 in 2020 and a low of 79 in 2012. The typical sale went from $154K in 2016 to $252K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $250K buys in Winterset
Check a listing against what Winterset 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 Winterset are back to pre-pandemic levels, but 16% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Winterset’s 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 May 2026, 94 sales.
If you’re buying in Winterset
- Shop in May. It brings about 16 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (12% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 30% of listings have cut their price, against 18% before the pandemic.
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 96.9% of the list price on average; 11% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 24% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 49 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 16 a month), but April is the most competitive: 19% of April sales close over asking. September has the least competition (9%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than Iowa
| Winterset now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 11% | 11% | 21% | 22% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 24% | 16% | 49% | 36% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 30% | 18% | 28% | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 96.9% | 96.9% | 98.4% | 97.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 49 | 72 | 30 | 45 |
33 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2022 low (15), 16% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2013’s 74.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
30% in the last year, against 18% in 2017–19 and 27% across Iowa. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Since 2019, houses are up 62%, condos 25%
A house typically sold for $255K in the last year (79 sales), a condo for $218K (15).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Winterset ranks 58th of 64 busy Iowa markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Winterset is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Winterset home costs about $1,692 a month
Price: Winterset’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Winterset’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 Winterset is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 4.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $252K home, about $4,520 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Winterset, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in WintersetTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Winterset.
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; Van Meter, Waukee and Norwalk for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Winterset, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Des Moines | 1,109 | $336K | $208 | 19% | 42 |
| Waukee | 782 | $381K | $240 | 21% | 105 |
| Norwalk | 454 | $332K | $230 | 24% | 83 |
| Adel | 180 | $340K | $225 | 28% | 89 |
| Winterset | 94 | $252K | $183 | 11% | 49 |
| Van Meter | 36 | $351K | $276 | 36% | 139 |
| De Soto | 21 | $251K | $229 | 48% | 41 |
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 Winterset, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Winterset. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Winterset with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Winterset
What do homes sell for in Winterset, IA?
94 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $252K, $183 a square foot. Houses sold for about $255K, condos for about $218K.
Is Winterset a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A buyer’s market: 33 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 5 sold, about 6.6 months of supply. Buyers paid 96.9% of asking on average, and 30% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Winterset?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Winterset?
About 1.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $252K home that’s near $4,520.
Where can I see homes for sale in Winterset?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Winterset’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Winterset.
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).