Living here
Average rent in Des Moines
What renters actually pay, by number of bedrooms, and how Des Moines compares with Iowa and the US.
Median rent
$1,054/mo
22% below US
1 bedroom
$870/mo
26% below US
2 bedrooms
$1,099/mo
18% below US
Renters paying 30%+ of income
47%
US 50%
Renter households
35,631
Rent by number of bedrooms
Median gross rent (contract rent plus utilities) for occupied rental units, by bedrooms. Income needed uses the 30% rule.
How Des Moines compares
- Des Moines$870
- Iowa$771
- United States$1,185
- Des Moines$870
- Iowa$750
- United States$1,180
- Des Moines$1,099
- Iowa$968
- United States$1,338
- Des Moines$1,334
- Iowa$1,151
- United States$1,500
What rent can you afford?
At 30% of income you can spend about $1,099 a month.
- Studio $870
- 1 bedroom $870
- 2 bedrooms $1,099
- 3 bedrooms $1,334
- 4 bedrooms $1,474
- 5+ bedrooms $1,731
Green means the median Des Moines rent for that size fits your budget. Landlords often ask for income of 2.5–3× the monthly rent.
How stretched are renters?
47% of Des Moines renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 23% spend half or more. The typical renter household puts 28.8% of its income toward rent (US: 50% and 25%).
Rent by zip code
Median gross rent for each ZIP Code Tabulation Area that overlaps Des Moines.
HUD fair market rents
HUD’s 2027 fair market rents for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area are the payment benchmarks for housing vouchers (about the 40th percentile of recent movers’ rents), so they often differ from the medians above.
More on living in Des Moines
Neighborhoods of Des Moines
Questions
What is the average rent in Des Moines?
The median gross rent (rent plus utilities) is $1,054 a month, 11% above the Iowa median and 22% below the national median.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Des Moines?
The median one-bedroom rents for $870 a month (US: $1,180).
How much is a two-bedroom in Des Moines?
The median two-bedroom rents for $1,099 a month (US: $1,338).
How much do you need to make to rent in Des Moines?
Using the common 30% rule, a median two-bedroom ($1,099) takes a household income of about $43,960 a year, and a one-bedroom about $34,800.
Is rent affordable in Des Moines?
About 47% of Des Moines renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 23% spend at least half (US: 50% and 25%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables B25031, B25070 and B25071). Estimates have margins of error; figures are in 2023 dollars.