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Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · Cedar Falls, IA
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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Cedar Falls, IA Housing Market
The typical home in Cedar Falls, IA is worth $269,111, rose 2.3% over the past year (Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026). The last median sale price Redfin published was $315,000, +6.4% year over year (through May 2026). With 2.0 months of supply and homes going under contract in about 8 days, Cedar Falls is a seller's market. At today's 7.03% 30-year fixed rate, 20% down on a $269,111 home is about $1,437/mo in principal and interest.
Key numbers for Cedar Falls, IA
Typical home value
$269,111
+2.3% in 12 months
Zillow, August 2026
Typical asking rent
$1,221/mo
Zillow Observed Rent Index
Zillow, August 2026
Median sale price
$315,000
+6.4% year over year
Redfin, through May 2026
Days on market
8
Fast-moving
Redfin, through May 2026
Active listings
90
2.0 months of supply
Redfin, through May 2026
30-yr fixed rate
7.03%
Freddie Mac weekly average
Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
Median household income
$74,165
Home costs 3.6x income
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Sale-to-list ratio
99.6%
Selling below asking
Redfin, through May 2026
Zillow figures are as of August 2026 and refresh monthly. Redfin figures are through May 2026 — Redfin stopped publishing its public market trackers in June 2026, so those numbers are final, not current. Mortgage rates come from Freddie Mac via FRED and update weekly.
Is Cedar Falls a buyer's or seller's market?
Cedar Falls, IA is a seller's market, based on 2.0 months of supply and homes selling in about 8 days. Under 4 months of supply tilts the market toward sellers: homes clear faster than they are replaced, so concessions are scarce.
Inputs are Redfin's final published period (May 2026). How we classify markets · Where the data comes from
What does the Cedar Falls housing market data show?
Every row below is Redfin's final published month for Cedar Falls, IA. Redfin, through May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $315,000 |
| Median list price | $279,450 |
| Year-over-year price change | +6.4% |
| Median price per sq ft | $160/sq ft |
| Median days on market | 8 days |
| Active inventory | 90 listings |
| Months of supply | 2.0 months |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 99.6% |
| Homes sold (that month) | 46 |
| New listings (that month) | 84 |
| Listings with a price cut | 28.9% |
| Market condition | Seller's market |
How to read these numbers
- Median sale price
- Half the homes that closed sold for more than this, half for less. It moves with what kind of home sold that month, so a quiet month with two big sales can swing it. Redfin's figure for Cedar Falls is frozen at May 2026.
- Typical home value (ZHVI)
- Zillow's estimate of what a mid-market home in Cedar Falls is worth right now, whether or not it sold. It is smoother than the median sale price and it still refreshes monthly, which is why this page leads with it.
- Months of supply
- How long it would take to sell every active listing at the current pace. Under 3 favors sellers, over 6 favors buyers, and 3 to 6 is the balanced band.
- Days on market
- Median time from listing to accepted offer. Short means you should have financing ready before you tour; long means there is room to negotiate on price and repairs.
- Sale-to-list ratio
- Sale price divided by the last asking price. Above 100% means bidding above asking is normal here; below 100% means the typical buyer got a discount.
- Price per square foot
- The size-adjusted price. Use it to compare a 1,400 sq ft house to a 2,600 sq ft house, not to value your own home — lot, condition and age move it a lot.
- Listings with a price cut
- Share of active listings that dropped their asking price in the month. A high share is the earliest visible sign that sellers are ahead of what buyers will pay.
- Typical asking rent (ZORI)
- Zillow's repeat-rent index for asking rents on new leases. Paired with the home value it gives the price-to-rent ratio in the rent-vs-buy section below.
How have Cedar Falls home prices moved?
Over the last three years the median sale price in Cedar Falls, IA rose 29.4%, from $243,500 to $315,000. The live Zillow value series has rose 2.3% in the last 12 months, which is the more current read now that Redfin's series has stopped. 28.9% of Cedar Falls listings cut their asking price in the final Redfin month — a high share, and the clearest sign that list prices were running ahead of what buyers would pay. For prices to fall meaningfully from here, supply would have to keep building past 2.0 months while the sale-to-list ratio slips below its current 99.6%. Watch those two together — they move before the median does.
Redfin, through May 2026 — the chart ends at Redfin's final published month.
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What does it cost to buy a home in Cedar Falls?
Priced off the typical home value of $269,111 at the current 7.03% 30-year fixed rate. These are principal and interest only — property taxes, homeowner's insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance are on top, and they vary enough by property that we will not guess them for you.
| Down payment | Cash at close | Loan amount | Monthly P&I |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | $53,822 | $215,288 | $1,437/mo |
| 5% | $13,456 | $255,655 | $1,706/mo |
Zillow, August 2026 for the price · Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026 for the rate
What income do you need?
Lenders generally want housing costs under 28% of gross income. On the 20%-down payment of $1,437, that implies roughly $61,571 a year before you add taxes and insurance. The median household in Cedar Falls earns $74,165, about $12,594 more than that threshold — the typical local household clears the payment on a typical local home with 20% down. That puts the price-to-income ratio at 3.6x — above the historical 3x norm but in line with much of the country in 2026.
Run it with your own numbers: affordability calculator · mortgage calculator
Buying in Cedar Falls in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the Cedar Falls market brief: the price ranges that actually clear, how long homes sit, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Cedar Falls?
Typical asking rent in Cedar Falls, IA is $1,221/mo, against a typical home value of $269,111. That is a price-to-rent ratio of 18.4x, which means buying and renting land close enough together that the decision turns on how long you stay and your down payment. Compared head to head, 20% down puts principal and interest at $1,437 a month — $215 more than renting before taxes and insurance, so the ownership case here rests on equity and appreciation rather than monthly cash flow.
Zillow, August 2026 for both value and rent
Add your own down payment, tax rate and time horizon in the rent vs. buy calculator.
Is inventory rising or falling in Cedar Falls?
Active listings in Cedar Falls, IA went from 106 in May 2025 to 90 in May 2026, a -15.1% change. Falling inventory tightens competition. When supply drops while demand holds, sale-to-list ratios rise before the median sale price does.
| Month | Active listings | New listings |
|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | 113 | 62 |
| July 2025 | 116 | 62 |
| August 2025 | 114 | 53 |
| September 2025 | 116 | 62 |
| October 2025 | 119 | 65 |
| November 2025 | 97 | 26 |
| December 2025 | 89 | 24 |
| January 2026 | 79 | 31 |
| February 2026 | 83 | 37 |
| March 2026 | 86 | 53 |
| April 2026 | 80 | 48 |
| May 2026 | 90 | 84 |
Redfin, through May 2026
How does Cedar Falls compare to Iowa and the U.S.?
Cedar Falls homes sell for $315,000 — 22% above the Iowa median of $258,700. Against the national median of $410,700, Cedar Falls runs 23% lower. Year-over-year, Cedar Falls moved +6.4% against Iowa's +2.3% — a bigger swing than the state as a whole.
| Market | Median sale price | YoY | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Falls, IA | $315,000 | +6.4% | 8 days |
| Iowa statewide | $258,700 | +2.3% | 37 days |
| United States | $410,700 | not published | not published |
City and state rows: Redfin, through May 2026 · U.S. row: Freddie Mac via FRED, April 2026 (MSPUS, quarterly)
What to do next in Cedar Falls
What buyers should watch
- Months of supply, currently 2.0. It turns before price does — when it climbs past 6, sellers start taking offers they would have rejected a quarter earlier.
- The share of listings cutting price, currently 28.9%. A listing that has already cut once is the one most likely to accept below asking.
- The gap between 5% and 20% down here is $269 a month in principal and interest alone, before mortgage insurance. That gap, not the price, is usually what decides your timeline.
- Rate moves. At 7.03%, every full point of rate change moves the payment on a $269,111 home more than a 5% price change does.
- Your credit tier before you shop, not after — it sets the rate you are quoted. Run your numbers first.
What sellers should know
- The median Cedar Falls listing goes under contract in 8 days. If yours passes that mark, the market is telling you the price is wrong — not that you need more showings.
- Homes here close at 99.6% of asking. Price to that ratio from day one rather than chasing the market down in cuts.
- In the last published month Cedar Falls added 84 new listings against 46 sales — more competition arriving than clearing, so early timing matters.
- Your equity moved +2.3% in the last 12 months on the Zillow value series. That, not the price you paid, is what sets your net proceeds.
- Comparable ZIP-level pricing inside Cedar Falls varies more than the citywide median suggests — check the ZIP pages below before you set a number.
Homes for sale in Cedar Falls
There are currently 90 homes listed for sale in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The median listing price is $279K.
Active listings
90
Homes on market
Median list price
$279K
Avg. days on market
8
Days until sale
New this week
84
Newly listed
How much do homes cost in Cedar Falls by property type?
How the Cedar Falls, IA market breaks down across single-family homes, condos and townhouses. Redfin, through May 2026
| Property type | Median price | Price / sq ft | Homes sold | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family | $320,750 | $160/sq ft | 40 | 8 days |
| Condo / co-op | $260,500 | $155/sq ft | 6 | 16 days |
| Townhouse | $420,000 | $168/sq ft | 1 | 306 days |
Who lives in Cedar Falls?
American Community Survey estimates for Cedar Falls. U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Population
40,662
Households
15,579
Median income
$74,165/yr
Median age
29.8 years
Owner-occupied
62.6%
Median home value
$252,500
Median gross rent
$1,177/mo
Mean commute
13.9 min
62.6% of occupied homes in Cedar Falls are owner-occupied, and the rest are rented — which is the share that decides how much of the local housing stock ever reaches the for-sale market. The Census self-reported median home value is $252,500 against Zillow's $269,111 typical value; the gap is normal — ACS asks owners what they think their home is worth, Zillow models transactions. Census median gross rent (all leases, including long-held ones) is $1,177/mo, below Zillow's $1,221/mo asking rent on new leases — the difference is roughly what a mover pays over a stayer.
Which public schools serve Cedar Falls?
10 schools tracked · 5,886 students
The largest public schools serving Cedar Falls, IA by enrollment, drawn from the National Center for Education Statistics. School quality is a commonly cited factor in home-buying decisions — these are the campuses families in this area are most likely to encounter.
Cedar Falls High School
Grades 10-12 · 1,336 students
Peet Junior High School
Grades 7-9 · 690 students
Holmes Junior High School
Grades 7-9 · 629 students
Helen A Hansen Elementary School
Grades PK-6 · 565 students
Southdale Elementary School
Grades PK-6 · 562 students
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary
Grades PK-6 · 475 students
Orchard Hill Elementary School
Grades PK-6 · 452 students
Lincoln Elementary School
Grades PK-6 · 448 students
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data directory. Updated annually. Ratings and test scores are not currently displayed.
Which cities are near Cedar Falls, IA?
Ordered by distance from Cedar Falls, not by size. Compare Cedar Falls side by side with any of them.
Cedar Falls housing market FAQ
Is Cedar Falls a buyer's or seller's market?
Cedar Falls, IA is currently a seller's market. That read comes from 2.0 months of supply, homes going under contract in about 8 days, and sellers getting 99.6% of their asking price in the last month Redfin published (May 2026).
How much do homes cost in Cedar Falls?
The typical home in Cedar Falls, IA is worth $269,111 (Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026). The median sale price in the last month Redfin published was $315,000, about $160 per square foot.
Is Cedar Falls cheaper than the rest of Iowa?
Cedar Falls's median sale price of $315,000 is 22% higher than the Iowa statewide median of $258,700, and 23% below the U.S. median of $410,700. Both figures are for the same period.
How long do homes take to sell in Cedar Falls?
Homes in Cedar Falls, IA spent a median of 8 days on market before going under contract, versus 37 days statewide. Under three weeks means well-priced listings move before most buyers can schedule a second showing. (Redfin, through May 2026.)
What income do you need to buy a home in Cedar Falls?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, 20% down on a $269,111 home is about $1,437 a month in principal and interest. Lenders typically want that under 28% of gross income, which works out to roughly $61,571 a year before taxes, insurance, HOA dues or mortgage insurance. The local median household income is $74,165.
Are home prices rising in Cedar Falls?
The typical home value in Cedar Falls, IA rose 2.3% over the last 12 months, from $262,945 to $269,111 (Zillow, August 2026). This is the live series — it refreshes monthly.
What are the cheapest ZIP codes in Cedar Falls?
Cedar Falls ZIP-level sale prices are not all published for the same period, so ranking them would compare different months. The ZIP pages listed on this page show what we hold for each one individually.
Is now a good time to buy in Cedar Falls?
That depends on your timeline, not on a headline. What the data says today: Cedar Falls, IA is a seller's market with 2.0 months of supply, the 30-year fixed rate is 7.03%, and the price-to-rent ratio of 18.4x means buying and renting land close enough together that the decision turns on how long you stay and your down payment. Properties Incorporated publishes the data; it does not give financial advice.
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