Rent in Iowa
The median 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Iowa is $1,071/mo, ranking #44 out of 51 states for highest rent. This is $179 below the national median of $1,250/mo. Iowa has a population of 3.2M. About 28.5% of households rent their homes. Fair Market Rent data covers 15 areas across the state.
Highlights
All 15 Areas in Iowa
| Area | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | Burden | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha-Council Bluffs Pop. 973K | $1,090 | $1,148 | $1,368 | $1,813 | 19.8% | +16.9% |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines Pop. 720K | $1,063 | $1,109 | $1,318 | $1,794 | 18.8% | +22% |
| Sioux City Pop. 144K | $796 | $925 | $1,154 | $1,386 | 19.2% | +14.3% |
| Ames Pop. 125K | $972 | $1,026 | $1,153 | $1,601 | 19.5% | +11.6% |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island Pop. 382K | $817 | $928 | $1,143 | $1,498 | 19.1% | +19.9% |
| Iowa City Pop. 177K | $880 | $961 | $1,141 | $1,587 | 18.5% | +5.5% |
| Dubuque Pop. 99K | $774 | $841 | $1,077 | $1,450 | 17% | +15.1% |
| Cedar Rapids Pop. 276K | $738 | $816 | $1,071 | $1,490 | 16.7% | +13.8% |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls Pop. 168K | $725 | $801 | $1,051 | $1,357 | 18.3% | +11.3% |
| Boone County Pop. 27K | $783 | $788 | $1,026 | $1,427 | 15.4% | +14% |
| Jasper County Pop. 38K | $784 | $789 | $1,008 | $1,348 | 17.2% | +16.9% |
| Bremer County Pop. 25K | $674 | $745 | $978 | $1,290 | 14.1% | +10.1% |
| Washington County Pop. 23K | $728 | $733 | $962 | $1,191 | 16.2% | +7.6% |
| Benton County Pop. 26K | $659 | $729 | $956 | $1,209 | 13.5% | +10.9% |
| Jones County Pop. 21K | $634 | $711 | $919 | $1,212 | 15.1% | +6.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
The median 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Iowa is $1,071 per month. Rents range from $919/mo in Jones County to $1,368/mo in Omaha-Council Bluffs. The actual median gross rent statewide is $949/mo according to Census data.
Iowa ranks #44 out of 51 states for highest median Fair Market Rent. The state median 2BR FMR of $1,071/mo is $179 below the national median of $1,250/mo.
The average rent burden across Iowa is 17.2%, meaning a typical household would spend 17.2% of income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. No areas exceed HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold. The statewide median household income is $73,147.
The most affordable area in Iowa is Jones County with a 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $919/mo. The median household income there is $73,071.
The most expensive area in Iowa is Omaha-Council Bluffs with a 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,368/mo. The median household income there is $83,023.
Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units. State-level income and demographic data comes from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year estimates. Rent burden is calculated as annual 2BR FMR divided by area median household income.