In Algona, a typical home is worth $160,800 and typical rent is $885 a month. Compared with all of Kossuth County, typical household income is 17% lower, the typical home value is 8% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 10 points lower.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $157,301 to $185,689.
From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Algona is in Kossuth County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Kossuth County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Nearby, in Estherville, the typical home value is $101,400: 37% less than in Algona ($160,800).
2
Algona has the 5th smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 81 cities in Iowa with more than 5,000 people (32%).
3
The typical household income in Algona is $56,040,17% less than in Kossuth County as a whole ($67,697).
4
69% of households in Algona own their home, against 79% in Kossuth County.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Algona
What homes there are in Algona, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).
What homes there are
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Kind of home
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Algona
Kossuth County
Iowa
United States
Kind of home: Algona and its comparisons
Measure
Algona
Kossuth County
Iowa
United States
Detached house
74%
86%
72%
61%
Attached house
Unreliable estimate
1%
5%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
7%
4%
6%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
14%
19%
Mobile home
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
3%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
In Algona, 7 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Kossuth County, 9.
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or laterUnreliable estimate
Algona
Kossuth County
Iowa
United States
Year built: Algona and its comparisons
Measure
Algona
Kossuth County
Iowa
United States
Before 1960
36%
48%
38%
26%
1960–1979
38%
29%
24%
24%
1980–1999
12%
9%
17%
25%
2000–2009
9%
7%
11%
14%
2010 or later
Unreliable estimate
6%
11%
11%
Here half of the homes date from 1970 or later; in Kossuth County, from 1962 or later.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $100K19%
$100K–$200K46%
$200K–$300K19%
$300K–$500K10%
$500K–$750KUnreliable
FHA limit: $541,287
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Algona and its comparisons
Measure
Algona
Under $100K
19%
$100K–$200K
46%
$200K–$300K
19%
$300K–$500K
10%
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable estimate
$1M or more
Unreliable
The FHA limit for Kossuth County is high ($541,287): at least 95% of owner-occupied homes in Algona are worth less than $500,000.
Monthly rent with utilities
Unreliable estimate
Under $500Unreliable
$500–$99953%
$1,000–$1,499Unreliable
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Algona and its comparisons
Measure
Algona
Under $500
Unreliable estimate
$500–$999
53%
$1,000–$1,499
Unreliable estimate
$1,500–$1,999
Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable
$3,000 or more
Unreliable estimate
With a mortgage
$1,226 a month
Kossuth County: $1,248 a month
Without a mortgage
$618 a month
Kossuth County: $557 a month
Owners with a mortgage
64%
Kossuth County: 47%
In Algona, 64% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,226 a month, about the same as in Kossuth County.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Algona+22%
Kossuth County+45%
Iowa+41%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Algona+26%
Kossuth County+27%
Iowa+23%
United States+33%
Typical household income
AlgonaNo clear change
Kossuth County+21%
Iowa+24%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Algona and its comparisons
Measure
Algona
Kossuth County
Iowa
United States
Typical home value
+22%
+45%
+41%
+53%
Typical rent
+26%
+27%
+23%
+33%
Typical household income
No clear change
+21%
+24%
+29%
The typical home value in Algona rose 22% since 2015–2019, less than in Kossuth County (45%).
The typical rent in Algona rose 26% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Kossuth County (27%).
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Algona and its comparisons
Measure
Algona
Kossuth County
Iowa
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
8.0%
5.7%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0.8%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1.6%
3.4%
People per household
2.02
2.17
2.36
2.53
Drive alone
82%
80%
76%
69%
Carpool
Unreliable estimate
8%
8%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
4%
3%
3%
Work from home
4%
7%
11%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
1%
1%
2%
Typical commute
under 10 minutes
10 to 19 minutes
10 to 19 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
Fewer people live in each home here: 2.02 on average, against 2.17 in Kossuth County.
The car rules in Algona: 82% of workers drive to work alone, and the typical trip takes under 10 minutes.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Algona?
A typical home is tight for the typical income
We start with a typical home in Algona, worth $160,800, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 30% of the typical household income in Algona, which is $56,040 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $59,741 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Kossuth County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Algona. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $5,628 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$1,394
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$157,888
Total interest
$227,163
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $2,716 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,308 a month
Tight
$1,308 to $1,681 a month
Your payment · 30%
Hard
more than $1,681 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Algona ($56,040 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$1,070
Property tax
$186
Home insurance
$67
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$71
You need at least $5,628 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.
Total monthly payment $1,394; principal and interest $1,070.
The city and its county
Algona and Kossuth County
Algona is in Kossuth County, Iowa. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).
Algona
Map of Kossuth County, Iowa, with Algona marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Algona
Kossuth County
Other cities with a page
Algona's own numbers
Typical home value
$160,800
Typical monthly rent
$885
Typical yearly household income
$56,040
Households that own their home
69%
Effective property tax rate
1.39%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Kossuth County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$954
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+36%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.2%
HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.
Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Kossuth County.
A typical home in Algona is worth $160,800: 8% above the county and 23% below Iowa. With the typical household income in Algona ($56,040 a year), a typical home costs 2.9 times what the household earns in a year.
Years of income to pay for a typical home
The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.
Algona2.9 years
Kossuth2.2 years
Iowa2.8 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Kossuth County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Kossuth County rose 42% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Kossuth County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Kossuth County, 2016 to 2025
2016: −1.1% −1.1% 2016
2017: +6.1% +6.1% 2017
2018: −3.3% −3.3% 2018
2019: +0.7% +0.7% 2019
2020: +1.6% +1.6% 2020
2021: +6.8% +6.8% 2021
2022: +9.1% +9.1% 2022
2023: +4.2% +4.2% 2023
2024: +9.9% +9.9% 2024
2025: +2.0% +2.0% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Kossuth County, Iowa and the United States
Period
County
Iowa
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+2.0%
+3.2%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+36%
+41%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+42%
+65%
+85%
The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data
Algona next to Kossuth County, Iowa and the U.S.
Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.
Typical home value
Algona$160,800
Kossuth$148,300
Iowa$208,000
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Algona$885
Kossuth$859
Iowa$972
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Algona$56,040
Kossuth$67,697
Iowa$75,059
United States$80,734
See the full table
Algona next to Kossuth County and Iowa
Measure
Algona
Kossuth County
Iowa
U.S.
Typical home value
$160,800 ▲8% above the county
$148,300
$208,000
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$885 ▲3% above the county
$859
$972
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$56,040 ▼17% below the county
$67,697
$75,059
$80,734
Households that own their home
69% ▼10 points below the county
79%
72%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$2,241 ▲50% above the county
$1,490
$2,897
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
1.39% ▲0.39 points above the county
1%
1.39%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
32% ▲1 points above the county
31%
44%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Kossuth County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Algona
For a typical $160,800 home in Algona, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Algona's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$1,394a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$5,628
Cash to close
$10,452
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $71
Conventional, 5% down$1,364a month
Down payment
$8,040
Cash to close
$12,864
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $76
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$1,125a month
Down payment
$32,160
Cash to close
$36,984
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$1,273a month
Down payment
$24,120
Cash to close
$28,944
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Algona
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$1,394
$5,628
$157,888
7.18%
FHA MIP · $71
$10,452
580
Conventional, 5% down
$1,364
$8,040
$152,760
7.18%
PMI · $76
$12,864
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$1,125
$32,160
$128,640
7.18%
None
$36,984
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$1,273
$24,120
$136,680
8.18%
None
$28,944
Set by the lender
The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.
Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.
Typical rent in Algona is $885 a month: 3% above the county. In Algona, 32% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Kossuth County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($954 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $18.35 an hour working full time.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Kossuth County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$709
$13.63
$28,360
1 bedroom
$811
$15.60
$32,440
2 bedrooms
$954
$18.35
$38,160
3 bedrooms
$1,137
$21.87
$45,480
4 bedrooms
$1,254
$24.12
$50,160
Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027
By ZIP code
Fair market rent by ZIP code in Algona
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Algona is in ZIP code 50511.
For 2 bedrooms it is $980: $26 more than the fair market rent for Kossuth County ($954).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Algona, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
50511
$730
$830
$980
$1,170
$1,290
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
50511 $980$1,170
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Algona when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)Fiscal year 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.
We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Kossuth County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Algona or Kossuth County. The ones below are statewide in Iowa: they work in Algona the same as in the rest of the state.
With the Iowa state authority's FirstHome mortgage, a first-time buyer can get a second loan of up to 3% of the price (maximum $10,000) or up to 5% (maximum $15,000), with no monthly payments, repaid when you sell, refinance or pay off the mortgage.Offered by Iowa Finance Authority (IFA).
Iowa state authority second loan, with the Homes for Iowans mortgage, of up to 3% of the price (maximum $10,000) or 5% (maximum $15,000) for the down payment and closing costs; no monthly payments, and for any buyer.Offered by Iowa Finance Authority (IFA).
No legal help resource on our list is for Algona or Kossuth County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Algona and all of Kossuth County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.
How much does a typical home cost in Algona?
The typical home value in Algona is $160,800, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Kossuth County it is $148,300.
How much does it cost to rent in Algona?
Typical rent in Algona is $885 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Kossuth County is $954.
What is the FHA loan limit in Algona?
Algona uses the FHA limit for all of Kossuth County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.
How much property tax do owners pay in Algona?
The typical homeowner in Algona pays $2,241 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.39% of the home’s value; in Kossuth County, the rate is 1%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Algona?
We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Kossuth County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
