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City · 10,640 residents · Plymouth County, Iowa

Le Mars , Iowa

In Le Mars, a typical home is worth $219,200 and typical rent is $929 a month. Compared with all of Plymouth County, typical household income is 10% lower and the share of households that own their home is 12 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $219,200

    4% below the county

    5% above Iowa

    • Le Mars
    • Plymouth
    • Iowa

  • Typical rent

    $929a month

    2% above the county

    4% below Iowa

    • Le Mars
    • Plymouth
    • Iowa

  • Typical household income

    $74,701a year

    10% below the county

    About the same as Iowa

    • Le Mars
    • Plymouth
    • Iowa

  • Households that own their home

    61%

    12 points below the county

    10 points below Iowa

    • Le Mars
    • Plymouth
    • Iowa

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$280,343
4.3% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Le Mars is in Plymouth 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 Plymouth County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Le Mars apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Cherokee, the typical home value is $136,700: 38% less than in Le Mars ($219,200).

  2. Nearby, in Cherokee, the typical rent is $728: 22% less than in Le Mars ($929).

  3. 61% of households in Le Mars own their home, against 74% in Plymouth County.

  4. Le Mars has the 8th smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 81 cities in Iowa with more than 5,000 people (33%).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Le Mars

What homes there are in Le Mars, 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

The detached house is still the most common home in Le Mars, but it weighs less than in Plymouth County: 63% against 79%.

Year built

Homes in Le Mars are newer: the typical year built is 1975; in Plymouth County, 1971.

There are fewer big homes in Le Mars than in Plymouth County: 59% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 69%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

The FHA limit for Plymouth County is high ($541,287): at least 98% of owner-occupied homes in Le Mars are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,336 a month

Plymouth County: $1,426 a month

Without a mortgage

$547 a month

Plymouth County: $577 a month

Owners with a mortgage

52%

Plymouth County: 52%

In Le Mars, 52% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,336 a month, against $1,426 in Plymouth County. Without one it drops to $547.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in Le Mars rose 38% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Plymouth County (40%).

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Le Mars rose 43%, more than in Plymouth County (38%).

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureLe MarsPlymouth CountyIowaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate5.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.6%3.4%
People per household 2.402.462.362.53
Drive alone 82%79%76%69%
Carpool 12%9%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate1%3%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate9%11%15%
Other means Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes

A household in Le Mars has 2.40 people on average, about the same as in Plymouth County (2.46).

Carpooling is common in Le Mars: 12% of workers get to work that way, against 9% in Plymouth County.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Le Mars?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Le Mars, worth $219,200, 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 Le Mars, which is $74,701 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $79,012 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Plymouth County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Le Mars. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $7,672 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,844

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$215,230
Total interest
$309,665
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,702 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,743 a month

  • Tight

    $1,743 to $2,241 a month

    Your payment · 30%

  • Hard

    more than $2,241 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Le Mars ($74,701 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,844
Principal & interest$1,458
Property tax$197
Home insurance$91
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$97

You need at least $7,672 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

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.

The city and its county

Le Mars and Plymouth County

Le Mars is in Plymouth 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).

Le Mars's own numbers

Typical home value
$219,200
Typical monthly rent
$929
Typical yearly household income
$74,701
Households that own their home
61%
Effective property tax rate
1.08%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Plymouth County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,018
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+43%

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 Plymouth County.

Everything about Plymouth County

Buying

Buying a home in Le Mars

A typical home in Le Mars is worth $219,200: 4% below the county and 5% above Iowa. With the typical household income in Le Mars ($74,701 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.

  • Le Mars 2.9 years
  • Plymouth 2.7 years
  • Iowa 2.8 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Plymouth County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Plymouth County rose 70% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Plymouth County.

Period County Iowa U.S.
Last year (2025) +4.3% +3.2% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +43% +41% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +70% +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

Le Mars next to Plymouth 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
  • Le Mars $219,200
  • Plymouth $228,900
  • Iowa $208,000
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Le Mars $929
  • Plymouth $910
  • Iowa $972
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Le Mars $74,701
  • Plymouth $83,251
  • Iowa $75,059
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Le Mars next to Plymouth County and Iowa
Measure Le Mars Plymouth County Iowa U.S.
Typical home value $219,200 $228,900 $208,000 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $929 $910 $972 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $74,701 $83,251 $75,059 $80,734
Households that own their home 61% 74% 72% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $2,373 $2,455 $2,897 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.08% 1.07% 1.39% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 33% 31% 44% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Plymouth 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 Le Mars

For a typical $219,200 home in Le Mars, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Le Mars's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,844a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $7,672
    Cash to close
    $14,248
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $97

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,803a month

    Down payment
    $10,960
    Cash to close
    $17,536
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $104

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,477a month

    Down payment
    $43,840
    Cash to close
    $50,416
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,679a month

    Down payment
    $32,880
    Cash to close
    $39,456
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

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.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Le Mars and for Plymouth County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Le Mars

1.08%of the home’s value each year

$2,373 a year for the typical owner in Le Mars.

  • Le Mars 1.08%
  • Plymouth 1.07%
  • Iowa 1.39%

What Iowa publishes Homestead exemption: 10% of taxable value (Iowa Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Iowa

Flood risk in Plymouth County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Plymouth County.

FEMA’s maps count no homes in the high-risk zone in Plymouth County. That does not mean it cannot flood: check your address.

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Le Mars

Typical rent in Le Mars is $929 a month: 2% above the county. In Le Mars, 33% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Plymouth County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,018 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $19.58 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Plymouth County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $756 $14.54 $30,240
1 bedroom $778 $14.96 $31,120
2 bedrooms $1,018 $19.58 $40,720
3 bedrooms $1,315 $25.29 $52,600
4 bedrooms $1,385 $26.63 $55,400

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 Le Mars

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Le Mars is in ZIP code 51031.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,030: $12 more than the fair market rent for Plymouth County ($1,018).

  • 51031 $1,030$1,330

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Le Mars 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 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Le Mars

HUD lists 7 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Le Mars. These are the largest.

  • Floyd Valley Apartments 110 6th Ave NE, Le Mars 51031 59 homes, 47 low-income · For older adults (712) 255-3665
  • Lemars Estates 650 4th Ave NE, Le Mars 51031 31 low-income homes · For families (712) 546-6117
  • Prime Living Apts 108 1st Ave NW, Le Mars 51031 27 homes, 26 low-income · 1 bd: 26 · In service since 2004 · For older adults, people with disabilities
  • Highland Estates 530 Countryside Dr, Le Mars 51031 24 low-income homes · 1 bd: 8 · 2 bd: 8 · 3 bd: 8 · In service since 1995 · For older adults
  • Sunrise Villa Apts 524 Sunset Dr SW, Le Mars 51031 24 low-income homes · In service since 1994 · For older adults

See all 9 buildings in Plymouth County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Le Mars

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 Plymouth County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

Two women and a girl laugh together at the bus stop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Le Mars

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Le Mars or Plymouth County. The ones below are statewide in Iowa: they work in Le Mars the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Iowa

Housing counselors near Le Mars

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Le Mars, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Center for Siouxland

    715 Douglas St, Sioux City · 23 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 9 more
    (712) 252-1861

  • Home Opportunities Made Easy, Inc. (home, Inc.)

    1618 6th Ave, Des Moines · 154 miles away · Spanish

    • Home improvement and repairs
    • Homelessness services
    • and 5 more
    (515) 243-1277

  • Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity

    95 University Ave, Des Moines · 154 miles away

    • Pre-purchase counseling
    (515) 471-8686

All counseling agencies in Iowa

Help in Spanish near Le Mars

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Le Mars

HUD lists no housing authority with an office in Plymouth County. One in a neighboring county or the state’s may serve the area.

All housing agencies in Iowa Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Le Mars, with the typical home value.

Everything about Plymouth County Housing in Iowa

Neighboring counties

If Plymouth County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Le Mars.

All guides
A father and mother walk their son by the hand down the sidewalk.

Questions

Housing questions about Le Mars

Short answers with the numbers for Le Mars and all of Plymouth 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 Le Mars?

The typical home value in Le Mars is $219,200, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Plymouth County it is $228,900.

How much does it cost to rent in Le Mars?

Typical rent in Le Mars is $929 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Plymouth County is $1,018.

What is the FHA loan limit in Le Mars?

Le Mars uses the FHA limit for all of Plymouth 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 Le Mars?

The typical homeowner in Le Mars pays $2,373 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.08% of the home’s value; in Plymouth County, the rate is 1.07%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Le Mars?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Plymouth County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).