West 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 West Des Moines, Iowa rental market.
West Des Moines, Iowa
Average Apartment Rent
$1,270
Y-o-Y Change in Average
Apartment Rent
2.1%
As of March 2026
Compared to a year ago, West Des Moines, Iowa apartments have recorded a 2.1% rent increase.
West Des Moines, Iowa Average apartment rent trend
West Des Moines, Iowa Average Apartment Rent
West Des Moines, Iowa Apartment rent ranges
At 63.99%, apartments priced $1,000 - $1,500 represent the bulk of West Des Moines, Iowa rentals, while condos priced Over $3,000 hold the lowest share of the market – 0.54%.
West Des Moines, Iowa Housing tenure**
Renters take up 42% of West Des Moines, Iowa real estate, occupying a total of 13,110 units, while homeowners live in 18,197 properties.
Median number of rooms of renter-occupied housing units**
3.8
Renter median household income**
$56,489
Average household size of renter-occupied housing units**
1.83
Rental vacancy rate**
5.8%
West Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied housing units by no. of bedrooms**
There are 7,487 rentals in West Des Moines, Iowa with 2 beds making up the highest share of the market, at 57%. Units with 4 beds, on the other hand, hold the lowest percentage (2%), amounting to 278 units. Overall, the median number of rooms in West Des Moines, Iowa homes for rent is 3.8.
West Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied units by age of householder**
Most condos for rent in West Des Moines, Iowa are occupied by residents in the 25 - 34 years age group (34%), followed by those in the 15 - 24 years age group (17%). At the same time, people in the 75 - 84 years age group make up the lowest share of the local rental market – 3%.
West Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied housing units by family type**
West Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied housing units by the presence of own children**
A total of 4,258 apartments for rent in West Des Moines, Iowa, or 32% of all rentals are family households. Additionally, 19% of rental homes include children under the age of 18 – that’s 2,494 units. All in all, the median size of a renter-occupied household in West Des Moines, Iowa is 1.83.
West Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied housing units by educational attainment**
In terms of education, renters holding bachelor degrees or higher make up 51% of the rental market. In contrast, residents with less than a high school degree reside in 3% of the homes for rent in West Des Moines, Iowa.
West Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied units by year structure built**
The highest share of West Des Moines, Iowa apartment rentals, namely 25% or 3,288 units, were Built 2010 - 2019, followed by those Built 1990 - 1999 (18%, 2,375 units), and the ones Built 1980 - 1989 (17%, 2,228 units).
West Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied units by year householder moved in**
Median year renter moved into unit 2019
Most West Des Moines, Iowa renters (48%) moved in 2018 to 2020, while only 2% of them moved in 1990 to 1999. Overall, the median year renters have occupied their West Des Moines, Iowa condos for rent is 2019.
West Des Moines, Iowa Renter-occupied housing units by vehicles available**
When it comes to transportation options, 58% of West Des Moines, Iowa renters have 1 vehicle available per household, 31% of them have 2 vehicles available, and 6% have No vehicle available.
West Des Moines, Iowa Means of transportation to work of householders living in renter-occupied housing units**
West 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 West 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
