Median home value is about $174,000 — about 50% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).
Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $592 (about 49% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 77.6% (about 12.2 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).
To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 50644 in Independence, IA, a household would need roughly $48,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,118. That sits below the local median household income ($79,861), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.