Iowa's home prices are up more than 300% over the past four decades — but still far lower than the national average — according to one analysis of Freddie Mac data.

The big picture: The national average between 1984 and this year is nearly 500%, per the Freddie Mac House Price Index.

• Washington state had the largest gain, at 828%, followed by Oregon (699%), Rhode Island (668%) and Massachusetts (664%).
• Iowa was among the 10 states with the fewest gains and was lower than any surrounding states.

Reality check: Nationally, housing affordability is only slightly worse today than in 1984 when you account for mortgage rates, median household incomes and national home prices, according to the analysis by journalist Lance Lambert of ResiClub.

• A 30-year fixed rate mortgage was between 13% and 15% in 1984, while it has fluctuated between 6% and 7% this year, according to Freddie Mac.

Stunning stat: The Des Moines metro has among the lowest rent burdens in the country, according to recent Census data.

Yes, but: Nearly half of metro renters spent more than 30% of their income on housing, according to a report last year from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.

• Iowa has a shortage of more than 58,000 rental homes that are affordable and available to extremely low-income residents, according to a report this year by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

The bottom line: Our housing problems might not be as severe as those of other states, but challenges persist.

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A newly released survey of immigrants and refugees in Polk County found widespread skepticism about the safety of metro drinking water and a near-unanimous preference for bottled water.

Why it matters: Bottled water is more expensive, and local immigrant and refugee advocates say the misconception about local drinking water quality amounts to an "urgent equity issue," according to the report.

Context: Polk's foreign-born population increased 15% between 2017 and 2022, according to estimates published by the Iowa Data Center.

• The latest estimate puts the population at roughly 48,000 people, with more than 10% living in poverty, per the report.

What they did: The University of Iowa's Initiative for Sustainable Communities launched the study last year using a federal grant and guidance from Polk County government.

• Researchers interviewed 22 residents from six countries.

Reality check: The findings can't be generalized to the entire refugee and immigrant populations because of the low number of interviews, but their relatively consistent responses provide helpful insight, per the report.

What they found: Many respondents' perceptions were influenced by their experience of needing to boil water from rivers, streams and pumps in their countries of origin.

• Without information about local tap water, many continue to follow the same boiling practices, with 21 of 22 preferring bottled alternatives to tap water.

Zoom out: These foreign-born respondents are not alone in their reliance on bottled water.

• The U.S. has among the safest drinking water systems in the world, but Americans spend billions of dollars yearly on bottled water.

What's next: Municipalities, Polk County and immigrant and refugee advocates will launch educational and outreach efforts to encourage faith in the safety of local tap water in the coming months, Melissa Walker, a spokesperson for DSM Water Works, tells Axios.

👩‍💻 Pollster J. Ann Selzer is not renewing her contract with the DSM Register. She said she announced this decision to the paper a year ago, before her highly criticized last poll showed Vice President Harris beating President-elect Trump in Iowa.

• A statement from Gannett, the owner of the Register, said the Iowa Poll would evolve to find new ways to capture public sentiment accurately. (Des Moines Register)

👨‍⚖️ A judge ruled the city of DSM wrongly canceled a development agreement for The Fifth skyscraper project, awarded $4.4 million in damages and said developer Mandelbaum Properties could retain possession of the downtown property. (DSM Register)

🚫 A new coalition has launched an advertising campaign in DSM and Cedar Rapids asking Iowans to sign a petition supporting a statewide moratorium on new casinos. (KCCI)

👀 A study of local families experiencing unstable housing recommends metro leaders create a public portal of available rental properties with transparent fees and deposit information. (Des Moines Register)

⭐️ Today's headline maker: Keith Piscitello of Clive

Average gas prices have dropped to around $2.50 a gallon across much of the Des Moines metro.

The big picture: Prices are falling across the country, a result of investor concerns over weak demand for oil and the switch to cheaper, winter-blend gasoline, per Yahoo Finance.

By the numbers: AAA showed an average price of $2.75 a gallon statewide this morning, with prices at $2.47 in Polk County.

• At some stations, you can fill up for less than $2.40, per GasBuddy.