Central Iowa home prices did not move as one market in August 2026. Across six of the towns I work in most, Redfin's three-month median sale price ran from 4.2% above last year in Johnston to 4.2% below last year in Grimes, with Ames, Ankeny, Urbandale and Waukee in between. Sales volume split just as widely. If you are comparing Central Iowa home prices by city before you buy or list, the town you are in tells you more than the metro headline does.
Redfin reports sale data for each city over a rolling three-month window. The table below is the window ending August 2026, compared with the same window a year ago. These are Redfin's calculations from MLS and public records, so they will not match a single-month MLS report exactly.
| Town | Median sale price | Vs. last year | Homes sold | Vs. last year | Sale-to-list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston | $391,741 | +4.2% | 149 | +53.3% | 98.9% |
| Ames | $329,782 | +3.9% | 190 | +10.3% | 98.7% |
| Ankeny | $344,272 | +1.0% | 532 | +19.9% | 99.2% |
| Urbandale | $363,759 | +1.0% | 307 | -3.9% | 99.2% |
| Waukee | $380,648 | +0.2% | 233 | -5.0% | 99.7% |
| Grimes | $349,769 | -4.2% | 112 | +39.8% | 99.8% |
Two things stand out. First, price and volume do not always move together. Johnston, Ames and Ankeny each posted a higher median and more closed sales than a year ago. Urbandale and Waukee are about flat on price and down on sales. Grimes is the one town of the six with a lower median than last year, yet its sales count is up 39.8%.
Second, a median is not a price tag. It can move because the mix of homes that sold changed, not because any single home gained or lost value. That is the first thing I would check before reading Grimes as a price decline.
Johnston posted the largest price gain of the six, with a $391,741 median and 149 closed sales, up 53.3% from a year ago. Ames followed with a $329,782 median, up 3.9%, and 190 sales, up 10.3%. Ankeny's $344,272 median is up 1.0%, and its 532 closed sales were the most of any town here, up 19.9%.
In all three, homes closed at between 98.7% and 99.2% of list price. For the days on market and sold-above-list detail in Ankeny and Ames, my October 1 market update has the full read. You can also see each town's current numbers on the Ankeny, Ames and Johnston pages.
Urbandale's median is $363,759, up 1.0%, with 307 closed sales, down 3.9%. Waukee's median is $380,648, up 0.2%, with 233 sales, down 5.0%. Redfin shows price drops on 41.9% of Urbandale listings and 42.3% of Waukee listings, up 7.9 and 7.3 points from a year ago. That is where I would expect the most room to negotiate on a home that has been sitting.
Grimes sits at $349,769, down 4.2%, while its 112 closed sales are up 39.8%. Its 99.8% sale-to-list ratio is the highest of the six. More sales at close to full list price alongside a lower median points to a change in what is selling, which is worth a closer look at the individual sales before drawing a conclusion. The Urbandale, Waukee and Grimes pages track each market as new data arrives.
Zillow adds a forward-looking layer. Its Home Value Index figures describe a report area, not a closed-sale median, so treat them as direction rather than price. These are the latest one-year forecasts I have for each town, with the date of the Zillow report.
| Town | Zillow 1-year forecast | Report date |
|---|---|---|
| Ames | +1.6% to +1.7% | Sep 22 and Oct 4 |
| Huxley | +1.5% | Oct 4 |
| Johnston | +1.4% | Sep 21 |
| Altoona | +1.4% | Sep 25 |
| Waukee | +1.1% | Oct 1 |
| Urbandale | +0.6% | Sep 4 |
| Ankeny | +0.6% | Aug 14 |
| Bondurant | +0.5% | Sep 1 |
| Grimes | +0.4% | Aug 13 |
Waukee is a useful example of why I show both sources. Redfin's closed-sale median is up 0.2%, while Zillow's typical value for the 50263 report area is $345,293, about 1.8% below the $351,650 a year ago, with a forecast of +1.1%. Redfin reports what sold. Zillow estimates the typical home across an area. Neither is wrong, and the gap between them is information in itself.
Use the town data to set your posture. In Urbandale and Waukee, flat prices, falling sales counts and roughly 42% of listings with a price drop point to a market where a patient buyer can reasonably ask for more on a home that has been sitting, whether that is a lower price or repairs. In Johnston, Ames and Ankeny, homes are still closing close to list, so an offer below list should be backed by the nearby comparable sales. In every town, keep your full inspection period and use it well. Listing alerts put new homes in front of you the day they appear.
A town median is a starting point, not a list price. Price from the sold comparables near your own home and be honest about condition. In towns where more homes closed than a year ago, a well-priced listing meets real activity. Where sales are slipping and price drops are common, pricing correctly from day one matters even more, and my framework is in How to Price Your Home in Central Iowa. To see what your own sale could look like, start with the home value tool and the seller net proceeds calculator.
When I look at a town as an investor who lives in what he owns, I check two things before the median: how many comparable sales exist, and where the forward trend points. Ankeny's 532 closed sales give it the deepest set of comparables of the six. Ames pairs a 3.9% price gain with the highest Zillow forecast on the list, and its rental market is tied to Iowa State University, a driver of demand that I walk through in House Hacking in Ames. Grimes shows a lower median than last year with more sales, which is worth running through the deal calculator to see whether the entry price helps your numbers. These are market observations, not a promise of returns, and your lender will confirm financing for any property you consider.
What this means for your strategy: Treat Central Iowa as a set of separate town markets. Where prices and sales are both up, price a listing to the comparables and expect close-to-list offers. Where sales are down and price drops are common, buyers have leverage and sellers need sharper pricing. Investors should compare the closed-sale median, the Zillow direction and the depth of comparable sales together before picking a town.
DMAAR releases its September statistics in the second week of the month, and I will fold them into the next update. In the meantime, every past update lives on the market updates page. If you want to talk through what these numbers mean for your own plans, reach out anytime. No pressure, just a clear, straightforward conversation with Jackson Krile and the Flanders Team at RE/MAX Real Estate Center.
Data sources: Redfin city housing market pages, three months ending August 2026 (percent changes are Redfin's year-over-year calculations); Zillow market report emails and Zillow Home Value Index estimates, dated as shown. The 1.8% Waukee difference is calculated from Zillow's two published values.
Jackson Krile | Flanders Team | RE/MAX Real Estate Center
515.490.8614 · Jackson@FlandersTeam.com
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