Des Moines, Iowa Rental Market Trends
Any shifts in rent prices brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic are not yet reflected in the statistics on this page. Please bear this in mind when referencing the data below, as it may not accurately describe the current context of the Des Moines, Iowa rental market.
Des Moines, Iowa
Average Apartment Rent
$1,109
Y-o-Y Change in Average
Apartment Rent
1.1%
As of May 2026
Compared to a year ago, Des Moines, Iowa apartments have recorded a 1.1% rent increase.
Des Moines, Iowa Average apartment rent trend
Des Moines, Iowa Average Apartment Rent
Des Moines, Iowa Apartment rent ranges
At 50.2%, apartments priced Under $1,000 represent the bulk of Des Moines, Iowa rentals, while condos priced Over $3,000 hold the lowest share of the market – 0.41%.
Des Moines, Iowa Housing tenure**
Renters take up 40% of Des Moines, Iowa real estate, occupying a total of 35,314 units, while homeowners live in 53,580 properties.
Median number of rooms of renter-occupied housing units**
3.9
Renter median household income**
$42,047
Average household size of renter-occupied housing units**
2.03
Rental vacancy rate**
5.5%
Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied housing units by no. of bedrooms**
There are 14,335 rentals in Des Moines, Iowa with 2 beds making up the highest share of the market, at 41%. Units with 5 or more beds, on the other hand, hold the lowest percentage (1%), amounting to 204 units. Overall, the median number of rooms in Des Moines, Iowa homes for rent is 3.9.
Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied units by age of householder**
Most condos for rent in Des Moines, Iowa are occupied by residents in the 25 - 34 years age group (30%), followed by those in the 35 - 44 years age group (15%). At the same time, people in the 75 - 84 years age group make up the lowest share of the local rental market – 3%.
Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied housing units by family type**
Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied housing units by the presence of own children**
A total of 12,573 apartments for rent in Des Moines, Iowa, or 36% of all rentals are family households. Additionally, 24% of rental homes include children under the age of 18 – that’s 8,349 units. All in all, the median size of a renter-occupied household in Des Moines, Iowa is 2.03.
Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied housing units by educational attainment**
In terms of education, renters holding bachelor degrees or higher make up 29% of the rental market. In contrast, residents with less than a high school degree reside in 14% of the homes for rent in Des Moines, Iowa.
Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied units by year structure built**
The highest share of Des Moines, Iowa apartment rentals, namely 22% or 7,903 units, were Built 1939 or earlier, followed by those Built 1970 - 1979 (19%, 6,667 units), and the ones Built 2010 - 2019 (11%, 3,991 units).
Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied units by year householder moved in**
Median year renter moved into unit 2018
Most Des Moines, Iowa renters (40%) moved in 2010 to 2017, while only 1% of them moved in 1989 or earlier. Overall, the median year renters have occupied their Des Moines, Iowa condos for rent is 2018.
Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied housing units by vehicles available**
When it comes to transportation options, 50% of Des Moines, Iowa renters have 1 vehicle available per household, 24% of them have 2 vehicles available, and 19% have No vehicle available.
Des Moines, Iowa Means of transportation to work of householders living in renter-occupied housing units**
Des Moines, Iowa Geographical mobility in the past year for householders living in renter-occupied housing units**
The rental statistics on this page were compiled using data provided by our sister company, Yardi Matrix, an apartment market intelligence solution which offers comprehensive information on all Des Moines, Iowa apartment buildings 50 units or larger. Yardi Matrix covers ~80% of the U.S. metro area population, including over 80,000 properties and 15.2 million apartments across 124 U.S. markets.
*Average single-family rent calculated from point2homes.com data.
**Data sourced from U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
