Iowa Foreclosures, Tax Liens & Distressed Properties

Every Iowa county and ZIP carries a DLRadar distress score built from county and parcel records. Phase-wise, Iowa counties run 89 peak, 9 neutral, 1 contraction. DLRadar scores 970 Iowa ZIPs across 99 counties (mean composite 18/100). Statewide, counties skew peak, prices up 2.6% on average.

Distress concentrates in Delaware County, Worth County, Louisa County, Tama County, Adams County; open any for county- and ZIP-level detail.

The highest-scoring Iowa ZIPs are 50007 (33/100), 50009 (33/100), 50021 (33/100), 50023 (33/100), 50032 (33/100) — open any for the parcel read.

Here is the county-by-county distress and phase picture for Iowa.

Adair County is peak (appreciation near 2.5%). In Adams County, peak: appreciation near 2.5%, lender pressure 80/100. Allamakee County: peak, up 2.5% on the year, bank stress 56/100. Appanoose County is in its peak phase, up 2.5% on the year, bank stress 43/100. Audubon County reads peak — homes +2.5% YoY, a 20/100 lender reading. Benton County reads neutral — appreciation near 4.9%, a 55/100 lender reading. Black Hawk County is in its peak phase, values rising 1.9%, headwind 42/100.

DLRadar reads Boone County as neutral — prices up 4.6%, lender pressure 57/100. Bremer County is peak (homes +1.9% YoY, a 32/100 lender reading). Buchanan County — peak, appreciation near 2.5%, bank stress 53/100. Buena Vista County reads peak — appreciation near 2.7%, a 52/100 lender reading. Butler County reads peak — homes +2.5% YoY, bank stress 73/100. Calhoun County is in its peak phase, appreciation near 2.5%, bank stress 29/100. Carroll County sits in peak, homes +2.7% YoY, headwind 55/100.

Cass County is peak (values rising 2.5%, headwind 18/100). Cedar County reads peak — homes +2.5% YoY, headwind 47/100. Cerro Gordo County is peak (up 2.7% on the year, headwind 65/100). Cherokee County is in its peak phase, prices up 2.5%, a 54/100 lender reading. Chickasaw County is peak (homes +2.5% YoY, a 64/100 lender reading). Clarke County is in its peak phase, up 2.5% on the year, headwind 41/100. Clay County is in its peak phase, prices up 2.7%, a 58/100 lender reading.

Clayton County is in its peak phase, homes +2.5% YoY, lender pressure 75/100. Clinton County: peak, prices up 2.7%, lender pressure 77/100. Crawford County — peak, values rising 2.5%, bank stress 71/100. Dallas County — peak, values rising 2.1%, headwind 66/100. DLRadar reads Davis County as peak — homes +2.5% YoY, headwind 21/100. Decatur County: peak, homes +2.5% YoY, lender pressure 30/100. Delaware County — peak, homes +2.5% YoY, lender pressure 95/100.

Des Moines County sits in peak, prices up 2.7%, headwind 68/100. Dickinson County reads peak — up 2.7% on the year, lender pressure 74/100. Dubuque County is in its neutral phase, up 4.8% on the year, lender pressure 67/100. Emmet County is in its peak phase, up 2.5% on the year, lender pressure 30/100. Fayette County sits in peak, prices up 2.5%, headwind 71/100. In Floyd County, peak: appreciation near 2.5%, a 68/100 lender reading. Franklin County is peak (prices up 2.5%, a 45/100 lender reading).

Fremont County is peak (prices up 2.5%, lender pressure 65/100). Greene County sits in peak, prices up 2.5%, lender pressure 53/100. In Grundy County, peak: up 1.9% on the year, bank stress 59/100. Guthrie County sits in peak, prices up 2.1%, a 49/100 lender reading. Hamilton County: peak, homes +2.5% YoY, lender pressure 48/100. In Hancock County, peak: prices up 2.5%, lender pressure 40/100. DLRadar reads Hardin County as peak — values rising 2.5%, bank stress 59/100.

Harrison County is neutral (homes +3.8% YoY, headwind 44/100). Henry County is peak (homes +2.5% YoY, bank stress 34/100). Howard County sits in peak, homes +2.5% YoY, lender pressure 34/100. Humboldt County sits in peak, prices up 2.5%, bank stress 44/100. Ida County reads peak — prices up 2.5%, lender pressure 64/100. Iowa County sits in peak, prices up 2.5%. DLRadar reads Jackson County as peak — appreciation near 2.5%, a 28/100 lender reading.

Jasper County: peak, values rising 2.1%, a 47/100 lender reading.

Iowa opportunity phases: 60 weak, 28 early_signal, 6 watchlist, 2 overheated, 2 peak_opportunity, 1 strong_buy; Iowa average index 27.2. Best-ranked Iowa counties: Monroe #101 (37.2), construction; Osceola #187 (36.0), construction; Hamilton #311 (34.7), construction in Iowa; Emmet #385 (34.1), construction; Monona #480 (33.6), construction; Tama #649 (32.7), construction.

Iowa mortgages ninety-plus days late: 0.9%; Iowa thirty-to-eighty-nine days late 1.9% (December 2025); 6 Iowa counties sit in the CFPB sample; highest Iowa county readings: Black Hawk 1.0%, Polk 1.0%, Scott 0.8%, Johnson 0.7%, Linn 0.7%.

Iowa county unemployment averages 3.3% across 99 counties; Iowa permitted 12,958 housing units in twelve months (5,072 multifamily); 121,992 of 1,437,699 Iowa housing units are vacant; 371,145 Iowa renter households, 34.3% spending 30%+ of income on rent.

Iowa ZIP price-cycle phases: 1,384 peak, 211 neutral, 128 expansion, 24 contraction, 3 recovery.