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New Report Fall 2026 Housing Affordability Report: every state is less affordable than in late August as average 30-year mortgage rates passed 7%. Read the report

West Branch, IA Housing Affordability Index

West Branch, Iowa has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 134.8 (Highly Affordable) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 737th most affordable of 891 scored Iowa cities, compared with 126.4 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $216,100 home with 20% down, the Iowa average 30-year fixed rate of 7.17% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $1,170, or 15% of the city’s $92,209 median household income.

The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for West Branch is updated every night from live Iowa mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income, home value and housing cost data for the city. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

West Branch MBR-HAI 134.8 Highly Affordable
Rank in Iowa 737 of 891 1 = most affordable
Iowa 126.4 Statewide score
National 97.4 100 = baseline
Avg 30-yr rate 7.17% Iowa lenders
Median home value $216,100 U.S. Census Bureau

West Branch is 8.4 points above the Iowa score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the Iowa index

View West Branch Mortgage Rates

What It Takes to Buy in West Branch

$1,170/mo
Principal & Interest
Median home, 20% down, 7.17%
$50,100
Income Needed
To keep the payment at 28% of income
$92,209
Median Household Income
Iowa: $75,059
2.3x
Price-to-Income Ratio
Iowa: 2.8x
$1,343/mo
Median Owner Costs
Mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
$3,085/yr
Median Property Tax
1.43% of median value
28.4%
Owner Cost Burden
Owners spending 30%+ of income on housing
42.7%
Renter Cost Burden
Renters spending 30%+ of income on rent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024) for West Branch, Iowa. The rate is the Iowa average 30-year fixed rate from MonitorBankRates, since lenders publish rates by state.

Cite the West Branch Score

“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 30, 2026. West Branch, Iowa score: 134.8 (Highly Affordable), ranked 737 of 891 Iowa cities. monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/iowa/west-branch”