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City · 5,171 residents · Woodbury County, Iowa

Sergeant Bluff , Iowa

In Sergeant Bluff, a typical home is worth $298,500 and typical rent is $1,156 a month. Compared with all of Woodbury County, typical household income is 68% higher, the typical home value is 63% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 5 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $298,500

    63% above the county

    44% above Iowa

    • Sergeant Bluff
    • Woodbury
    • Iowa

  • Typical rent

    $1,156a month

    18% above the county

    19% above Iowa

    • Sergeant Bluff
    • Woodbury
    • Iowa

  • Typical household income

    $123,481a year

    68% above the county

    65% above Iowa

    • Sergeant Bluff
    • Woodbury
    • Iowa

  • Households that own their home

    73%

    5 points above the county

    2 points above Iowa

    • Sergeant Bluff
    • Woodbury
    • Iowa

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$361,656
3.9% more than 12 months ago

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

Sergeant Bluff is in Woodbury 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 Woodbury County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Sergeant Bluff apart

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

  1. The typical household income in Sergeant Bluff is $123,481, 68% more than in Woodbury County as a whole ($73,658).

  2. The typical home in Sergeant Bluff is worth $298,500, 63% more than in Woodbury County as a whole ($183,200).

  3. Nearby, in Cherokee, the typical home value is $136,700: 54% less than in Sergeant Bluff ($298,500).

  4. Nearby, in Cherokee, the typical rent is $728: 37% less than in Sergeant Bluff ($1,156).

  5. The typical rent in Sergeant Bluff is $1,156 a month, 18% more than in Woodbury County as a whole ($981).

  6. 73% of households in Sergeant Bluff own their home, against 68% in Woodbury County.

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

The homes here

Housing in Sergeant Bluff

What homes there are in Sergeant Bluff, 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 houses are the majority in Sergeant Bluff (60%), but less so than in Woodbury County (72%).

Year built

Homes in Sergeant Bluff are bigger: 72% have 3 bedrooms or more; in Woodbury County, 58%.

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
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,049 a month

Woodbury County: $1,428 a month

Without a mortgage

$569 a month

Woodbury County: $545 a month

Owners with a mortgage

66%

Woodbury County: 57%

In Sergeant Bluff, 66% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $2,049 a month, against $1,428 in Woodbury County. Without one it drops to $569.

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

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Sergeant Bluff rose 30%; in Woodbury County, it rose 49%.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Sergeant Bluff did not change clearly, according to the Census.

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

MeasureSergeant BluffWoodbury CountyIowaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate5.1%5.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.8%1.6%3.4%
People per household 2.822.542.362.53
Drive alone 81%80%76%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate11%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%3%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate6%11%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes

On average, a household in Sergeant Bluff has 2.82 people, more than in Woodbury County (2.54).

To get to work, 81% of workers in Sergeant Bluff drive alone; in Woodbury County, 80%.

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 Sergeant Bluff?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Sergeant Bluff, worth $298,500, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 25% of the typical household income in Sergeant Bluff, which is $123,481 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Sergeant Bluff. 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 $10,448 (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

$2,538

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$293,093
Total interest
$421,692
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $5,041 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,881 a month

    Your payment · 25%

  • Tight

    $2,881 to $3,704 a month

  • Hard

    more than $3,704 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Sergeant Bluff ($123,481 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,538
Principal & interest$1,986
Property tax$296
Home insurance$124
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$132

You need at least $10,448 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

Sergeant Bluff and Woodbury County

Sergeant Bluff is in Woodbury 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).

Sergeant Bluff's own numbers

Typical home value
$298,500
Typical monthly rent
$1,156
Typical yearly household income
$123,481
Households that own their home
73%
Effective property tax rate
1.19%

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

Numbers for all of Woodbury County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,194
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+46%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.5%

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 Woodbury County.

Everything about Woodbury County

Buying

Buying a home in Sergeant Bluff

A typical home in Sergeant Bluff is worth $298,500: 63% above the county and 44% above Iowa. With the typical household income in Sergeant Bluff ($123,481 a year), a typical home costs 2.4 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.

  • Sergeant Bluff 2.4 years
  • Woodbury 2.5 years
  • Iowa 2.8 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Woodbury County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Woodbury County rose 82% in the 10 years through 2025.

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

Period County Iowa U.S.
Last year (2025) +3.6% +3.2% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +46% +41% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +82% +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

Sergeant Bluff next to Woodbury 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
  • Sergeant Bluff $298,500
  • Woodbury $183,200
  • Iowa $208,000
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Sergeant Bluff $1,156
  • Woodbury $981
  • Iowa $972
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Sergeant Bluff $123,481
  • Woodbury $73,658
  • Iowa $75,059
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Sergeant Bluff next to Woodbury County and Iowa
Measure Sergeant Bluff Woodbury County Iowa U.S.
Typical home value $298,500 $183,200 $208,000 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,156 $981 $972 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $123,481 $73,658 $75,059 $80,734
Households that own their home 73% 68% 72% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,561 $2,656 $2,897 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.19% 1.45% 1.39% 0.94%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Woodbury 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 Sergeant Bluff

For a typical $298,500 home in Sergeant Bluff, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Sergeant Bluff's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,538a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $10,448
    Cash to close
    $19,403
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $132

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,483a month

    Down payment
    $14,925
    Cash to close
    $23,880
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $142

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,038a month

    Down payment
    $59,700
    Cash to close
    $68,655
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,314a month

    Down payment
    $44,775
    Cash to close
    $53,730
    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 Sergeant Bluff and for Woodbury County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Sergeant Bluff

1.19%of the home’s value each year

$3,561 a year for the typical owner in Sergeant Bluff.

  • Sergeant Bluff 1.19%
  • Woodbury 1.45%
  • Iowa 1.39%

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

Exemptions and deadlines in Iowa

Flood risk in Woodbury County

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

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.5%
876
Of those, with NFIP insurance
16%
County Iowa U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.5% 2.2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 16% 14% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Sergeant Bluff

Typical rent in Sergeant Bluff is $1,156 a month: 18% above the county.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Woodbury County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,194 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $22.96 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Woodbury 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 $831 $15.98 $33,240
1 bedroom $965 $18.56 $38,600
2 bedrooms $1,194 $22.96 $47,760
3 bedrooms $1,447 $27.83 $57,880
4 bedrooms $1,618 $31.12 $64,720

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 Sergeant Bluff

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Sergeant Bluff is in ZIP code 51054.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,540: $346 more than the fair market rent for Woodbury County ($1,194).

  • 51054 $1,540$1,870

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Sergeant Bluff 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?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Sergeant Bluff

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.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Woodbury County; none says it serves in Spanish.

A grandmother pushes her grandson on a playground swing.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Sergeant Bluff

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

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Iowa

Housing counselors near Sergeant Bluff

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Sergeant Bluff, 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 · 7 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 · 150 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 · 151 miles away

    • Pre-purchase counseling
    (515) 471-8686

Every agency in Woodbury County All counseling agencies in Iowa

Help in Spanish near Sergeant Bluff

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 Sergeant Bluff

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Woodbury County is named for Sergeant Bluff or Woodbury County.

One other authority has an office in Woodbury County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Woodbury County

These cities are also in Woodbury County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Woodbury County Housing in Iowa

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Sergeant Bluff, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Woodbury 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 Sergeant Bluff.

All guides
A couple spread mulch under the avocado trees of their family orchard, he on the tractor and she with a shovel.

Questions

Housing questions about Sergeant Bluff

Short answers with the numbers for Sergeant Bluff and all of Woodbury 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 Sergeant Bluff?

The typical home value in Sergeant Bluff is $298,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Woodbury County it is $183,200.

How much does it cost to rent in Sergeant Bluff?

Typical rent in Sergeant Bluff is $1,156 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Woodbury County is $1,194.

What is the FHA loan limit in Sergeant Bluff?

Sergeant Bluff uses the FHA limit for all of Woodbury 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 Sergeant Bluff?

The typical homeowner in Sergeant Bluff pays $3,561 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.19% of the home’s value; in Woodbury County, the rate is 1.45%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Sergeant Bluff?

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Woodbury County. 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).