How much is rent in Des Moines, IA?

The median 2-bedroom in Des Moines rents for $1,184 a month with utilities, $379 less than the US median. A 1-bedroom runs $1,077 and a 3-bedroom $1,509.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

$1,1842-bedroom¹US: $1,563
$1,0771-bedroom¹US: $1,362
$47,360Income for a 2-bed at 30%²A year
16%Share of typical income³For a 2-bedroom

Rent in Des Moines by number of bedrooms

Median rent, utilities included, next to the US median.¹

Studio$1,019/mo
Des Moines
$1,019
US
$1,365
Income to keep it at 30%: $40,760²
1 bedroom$1,077/mo
Des Moines
$1,077
US
$1,362
Income to keep it at 30%: $43,080²
2 bedrooms$1,184/mo
Des Moines
$1,184
US
$1,563
Income to keep it at 30%: $47,360²
3 bedrooms$1,509/mo
Des Moines
$1,509
US
$1,760
Income to keep it at 30%: $60,360²
4 bedrooms$2,016/mo
Des Moines
$2,016
US
$2,153
Income to keep it at 30%: $80,640²

Work out what rent you can afford · Full cost of living in Des Moines

Where rent costs less than Des Moines

13 of the cities we cover have a lower median 2-bedroom rent. The cheapest and the closest:¹

City	2-bedroom rent	Less than Des Moines
Paducah, KY	$886	$298/mo
Terre Haute, IN	$901	$283/mo
Muncie, IN	$919	$265/mo
Evansville, IN	$1,087	$97/mo
El Paso, TX	$1,100	$84/mo
Spartanburg, SC	$1,148	$36/mo

Rent in Des Moines: questions people ask

How much is rent in Des Moines?

Median rent with utilities, all units: $1,195 a month. By size: studio $1,019, 1 bedroom $1,077, 2 bedrooms $1,184, 3 bedrooms $1,509, 4 bedrooms $2,016 (Census ACS, 2025).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in Des Moines?

To keep a 2-bedroom at 30% of income, about $47,360 a year. For a 1-bedroom, $43,080.

What share of income goes to rent in Des Moines?

A year of median 2-bedroom rent equals 16% of the median household income of $88,343 (Census ACS, 2025).

Where is rent cheaper than Des Moines?

Of the cities we cover, Paducah, KY ($886), Terre Haute, IN ($901), Muncie, IN ($919) have the lowest median 2-bedroom rent.

Rent elsewhere in Iowa

Cost of living in Iowa

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Notes on the numbers

1Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B25031, median gross rent by number of bedrooms (rent plus utilities the renter pays), 2025. Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, so new leases often cost more. $3,500+ is the highest figure the Census publishes. Census table
2Income to keep rent at 30%: a year of rent divided by 0.3, the common rule of thumb. Our arithmetic.
3Household income: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B19013, median household income, 2025. Census table

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