Real Estate Investing in Story City, Iowa

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

1 ZIP codes • Population: 4,300 • Story County

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

🏠 For Homebuyers
MIXED
Grade C (67/100)

Mixed signals — some positives, some negatives. Worth considering but not a slam-dunk.

📈 For Investors
MIXED
3.0 / 5 (47/100)

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

⚠️ Risks to Know
CLEAN

No major risk flags on the data we track.

What’s happening in Story City, IA?

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3.0/ 5

Investability

Citywide average

3.0/ 5

Appreciation

5.9% 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 $288,958
Avg Monthly Rent $936
ZIP Codes 1

Investing in Story City Real Estate

This is a distressed-leaning corner of Iowa: Story City has 1 ZIPs and a sizable population, and the investment math only works for investors who truly understand the market.

Across Story City's 1 ZIPs, fundamentals run lackluster: thin appreciation, soft rents, and demographic trends that don't obviously reverse in the medium term.

clearly Story City's sale market has not rewarded patience. a stretch for listings sit longer, price cuts are common, and rent growth has been flat to negative in multiple ZIPs.

Demographics in Story City show real pressure — median income of $N/AK is tepid relative to rents, and the 0% renter share includes significant cost-burdened households.

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 Ames, IA

Story City 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 Story City, IA. Anonymous, moderated, never written by AI.

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Avg Home Value
$288,958
Avg Monthly Rent
$936
1% Rule
✗ Below
Landlord Friendly (IA)

📉 Market Crash Risk Index

Based on Ames, IA metro

2/10
Low Risk
Price YoY
0/3
N/A
Rent YoY
0/2
N/A
Below List
1/3
58%
Days Pending
1/2
50 days

View all metro crash risk rankings →

⚖️ Balanced Market — Ames, IA metro
50
Days to pending
9.1%
Listings with price cuts
0.0%
Sale-to-list ratio
📅 Data as of August 29, 2026 — updated weekly

ZIP Codes in Story City, IA

Screen every ZIP in Story City

Filter Story City’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 Story City, IA

What is the best play in Story City, IA?

For Story City, IA, careful cash-flow rentals with hands-on management is the standard investor playbook. The market structure makes it a reasonable default approach.

Is Story City, IA a good place for real estate investing?

Yes - Story City, IA a 3.0/5 investability score. With $289K home prices against $936/mo monthly rent, the market delivers a reasonable entry point for new investors.

What is the rental occupancy rate in Story City, IA?

Occupancy in Story City, IA runs steady with elevated vacancy. Well-priced units at $936/mo lease on reasonable timelines.

How landlord-friendly is Story City, IA?

The landlord environment in Story City, IA is landlord-friendly. Statewide rules shape most day-to-day operations for rental owners.

Are renters plentiful in Story City, IA?

Story City, IA draws a steady base of working renters. Demand at the $936/mo rent level is reasonable for standard single-family and small multi rentals.

Community Ratings

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