Useful for screening
Population, income, rent and home-value medians provide a consistent first comparison across markets.
Des Moines,
rental market profile.
The typical rent in Des Moines, IA is $1,129 a month, up 1.0% from a year earlier. The typical home is worth $208,053, down 0.3% from a year earlier. Owning that home costs about $595 more a month than renting it. See the rent or buy math.
Current market, September 2026.
Typical home value$208,053-0.3% vs. a year earlier
Typical rent$1,129+1.0% vs. a year earlier
Gross rent-to-value6.51%annual rent ÷ value
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-bed$1,360FY2027 · second-source check
Estimated annual property tax$3,7361.80% effective rate (ACS)
Data: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) and Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), September 2026; smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Typical values sit in the middle of the local market; rent covers houses and apartments. Updated monthly. Second source: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rent for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area (40th-percentile gross rent, including utilities).
Five-year trend in Des Moines.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical rent |
|---|---|
| Sep 2021 | $980 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,052 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,065 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,104 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,118 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,129 |
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical home value |
|---|---|
| Sep 2021 | $173,318 |
| Sep 2022 | $188,224 |
| Sep 2023 | $196,477 |
| Sep 2024 | $206,360 |
| Sep 2025 | $208,701 |
| Sep 2026 | $208,053 |
Monthly Zillow Observed Rent Index and Home Value Index, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Each chart has its own scale, which does not start at zero, so small changes are visible.
Rent by number of bedrooms.
HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area: the 40th-percentile gross rent, utilities included, for the whole area. Rents inside Des Moines can be higher or lower. Source: HUD Fair Market Rents.
Census profile, 2020–2024: population, income and long-run medians
Population212.4KACS estimate
Median household income$65,932annual
Median gross rent$1,090monthly
Median home value$194,700owner-occupied
Median property tax$3,496annual · owner-occupied
Effective tax reference1.80%median tax ÷ median value
State HO-3 premium$1,3422023 homeowner reference
Housing vacancy7.7%all housing units
Gross rent-to-value6.72%annual rent ÷ home value
Rent-to-income reference19.8%annual rent ÷ income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates. Estimates cover 2020–2024. Insurance context: NAIC 2023 Homeowners Insurance Report. Ratios are derived from area medians and are not a property cap rate, affordability decision, insurance quote or expected return.
How Des Moines compares.
Des Moines’s median gross rent is 12.1% above the Iowa median, while its median owner-occupied home value is 6.4% below the state reference. Median household income is 12.2% below the statewide estimate.
The gross rent-to-value reference is 6.72%. It simply annualizes the area’s median gross rent and divides it by the area’s median home value. It does not subtract vacancy, taxes, insurance, maintenance, management, financing or capital reserves.
| Metric | CityDes Moines | StateIowa | CountryUnited States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,090 | $972 | $1,413 |
| Median home value | $194,700 | $208,000 | $332,700 |
| Household income | $65,932 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Median annual property tax | $3,496 | $2,897 | $3,119 |
| Housing vacancy | 7.7% | 8.5% | 10.1% |
| Rent vs baseline | — | +12.1% | -22.9% |
Test a Des Moines baseline.
Load the area medians for purchase price, rent and annual property tax, then replace every assumption with property-specific figures and current quotes.
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Check the rent for a specific Des Moines address.
Our figures are citywide typical rents. RentCast estimates the rent for one property from nearby rental comparables, so you can test the deal with a local figure.
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What this profile can—and cannot—tell you.
Use area data to compare markets before researching a specific address.
Property facts still matter
Verify achievable rent, taxes, insurance, condition, financing and local rules for the exact property.
Vacancy needs context
The ACS figure covers all housing units. It is not the vacancy allowance to enter in rental underwriting.
Questions about Des Moines.
What is the average rent in Des Moines, IA?
The typical asking rent in Des Moines, IA is $1,129 a month, according to Zillow's Observed Rent Index for September 2026, which covers houses and apartments. The Census Bureau's median gross rent for 2020–2024, which includes utilities and long-standing leases, is $1,090. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom home in the area is $1,360.
Is rent going up or down in Des Moines?
Rent is rising. The typical rent is $1,129, up 1.0% from $1,118 a year earlier.
How much does a house cost in Des Moines?
The typical home in Des Moines, IA is worth $208,053, according to Zillow's Home Value Index for September 2026, down 0.3% from a year earlier.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Des Moines?
Owning the typical home costs about $1,724 a month including the mortgage, property tax, insurance and upkeep, against $1,129 to rent it. Buying does not pull ahead within 30 years at current prices and rates in our model. See the full comparison.
What is the property tax rate in Des Moines?
The effective property tax rate is about 1.80% of home value, based on Census data, or roughly $3,736 a year on the typical home. Actual bills depend on the assessment and any exemptions.
Is Des Moines a good place to invest in rental property?
It depends on the property. As a first screen, a year of typical rent in Des Moines equals 6.51% of the typical home value. Higher ratios leave more room for expenses and a mortgage; the 1% rule looks for about 12% a year. Test a specific property in the rental property calculator before you decide.