Real Estate Investing in Estherville, Iowa

Everything the listing leaves out — vacancy, rent trend, cap rate, landlord climate. All free.

1 ZIP codes • Population: 6,827 • Emmet County

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Should you buy in Estherville, IA? Our answer, based on the numbers below.

🏠 For Homebuyers
GOOD FIT
Grade B (72/100)

Solid choice — values are growing steadily and the market is stable enough to buy with confidence.

📈 For Investors
MIXED
3.0 / 5 (52/100)

A middle-of-the-road market. Workable, but the best opportunities may be nearby ZIPs rather than this one.

⚠️ Risks to Know
1 flag
  • High vacancy: 13.1% of homes vacant — above national norms.

What’s happening in Estherville, IA?

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3.0/ 5

Investability

Citywide average

3.0/ 5

Appreciation

5.1% 5yr CAGR

5.0/ 5

Landlord Climate

Regulatory friendliness

🏦 30-yr Fixed Rate: 6.76% as of Sep 10 Source: Freddie Mac PMMS
Avg Investability
Avg Home Value $147,014
Avg Monthly Rent $864
ZIP Codes 1

Investing in Estherville Real Estate

Estherville in Iowa is one of the markets where the numbers warn before they reward — 1 ZIPs, a sizable population, and a rating that reflects material risk.

The investment case for Estherville is difficult to make on screen data alone. a harder case for a 3.0 rating and a cap rate of 0.0% that looks fine only until you underwrite the vacancy.

Rent trends and price trends in Estherville are both soft, which is the uncomfortable combination that defines distressed-leaning markets in Iowa.

The 0% renter share in Estherville masks uneven tenant quality across ZIPs, and $N/AK median income leaves little cushion against economic shocks.

A great house in the wrong ZIP is still a bad deal — screen every market by cash flow & cap rate.
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Best ZIP codes in Spirit Lake, IA

Estherville is part of this metro. Every ZIP in it, ranked. Free.

Cash Flow → Appreciation → Affordable →

Landlord Ground Truth

Real numbers from people who own or manage rentals in Estherville, IA. Anonymous, moderated, never written by AI.

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Avg Home Value
$147,014
Avg Monthly Rent
$864
1% Rule
✗ Below
Landlord Friendly (IA)

📉 Market Crash Risk Index

Based on Spirit Lake, IA metro

2/10
Low Risk
Price YoY
0/3
N/A
Rent YoY
0/2
N/A
Below List
2/3
71%
Days Pending
0/2
0 days

View all metro crash risk rankings →

☀️ Warm Market — Spirit Lake, IA metro
0
Days to pending
4.8%
Listings with price cuts
0.0%
Sale-to-list ratio
📅 Data as of August 29, 2026 — updated weekly

🎓 Colleges & Universities in Estherville

1 College 2,024 Students 346 Off-Campus Renters
C
Iowa Lakes Community College
2-Year Public · 2,024 students
📍 ~346 students rent off-campus

ZIP Codes in Estherville, IA

Screen every ZIP in Estherville

Filter Estherville’s ZIPs by cap rate, vacancy, appreciation and 30+ more criteria, and export your shortlist to CSV — with the Investor plan ($19/mo).

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Frequently Asked Questions About Estherville, IA

What strategy should investors use in Estherville, IA?

In Estherville, IA the resilient play is typically careful cash-flow rentals with hands-on management. The combination of $147K prices and $864/mo rents suits that approach.

What are rental rates like in Estherville, IA?

Rents in Estherville, IA run near $864/mo. Compared with median home prices of $147K that produces solid gross yields for typical rentals.

Is it easy to find good tenants in Estherville, IA?

Tenant quality in Estherville, IA ranks as solid. Landlords generally report predictable occupancy at market rents of $864/mo.

Can owner-occupants cash flow in Estherville, IA?

House hacking in Estherville, IA is a challenging. With home values around $147K and rents at $864/mo, owner-occupants can offset a meaningful share of PITI.

What is it like being a landlord in Estherville, IA?

Landlord-friendliness in Estherville, IA is landlord-friendly. Eviction timelines and lease enforcement are considered reasonable by most property managers.

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