Rent Trends / IA
Rent Trends in Iowa: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 40 cities in Iowa. The average across tracked cities is $1,231/month in 2026, up from $791 in 2015 (+55.6%). That sits $734 below (-37.4% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965.
Last updated: July 19, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,965 (June 2026)
What the Iowa rent trend shows
This page follows market rents in Iowa from 2015 through mid-2026 using the same Zillow ZORI vintage for every city in the table. State figures below are simple averages of the tracked cities — useful for comparing places inside Iowa and stacking the state against the published U.S. typical rent ($1,965/month in June 2026, up from $1,362 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Iowa has risen from about $1,104 to $1,231 (+11.5%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +2.7% ($1,199 → $1,231).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Des Moines (+41.7%, $791 → $1,121). 1 of 40 tracked cities are higher than their 2015 (or earliest) level.
For the national rent story, see the Rent Index. Statewide maps live on Rent by State. Full city database: Rent by City.
City-level breakdown in Iowa
Lowest 2026 rents
- Fairfield — $707
- Fort Dodge — $843
- Oelwein — $856
- Waterloo — $898
- Perry — $913
Highest 2026 rents
- Bondurant — $2,104
- Tiffin — $1,864
- Waukee — $1,665
- North Liberty — $1,655
- Clive — $1,524
Full list with every year from 2015–2026 is in the sortable table below.
All Iowa cities — yearly rent table
| City | Metro | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25 | '26 | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | $791 | $799 | $816 | $841 | $868 | $889 | $916 | $979 | $1,026 | $1,053 | $1,067 | $1,121 | +41.7% | |
| Cedar Rapids | — | — | $805 | $819 | $846 | $889 | $894 | $954 | $1,014 | $1,073 | $1,117 | $1,288 | +60.0% | |
| Davenport | — | — | $661 | $677 | $701 | $707 | $742 | $804 | $852 | $887 | $907 | $949 | +43.6% | |
| Sioux City | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,103 | $1,163 | $1,216 | +10.2% | |
| Iowa City | — | — | $983 | $994 | $1,000 | $1,015 | $1,033 | $1,091 | $1,134 | $1,188 | $1,238 | $1,308 | +33.1% | |
| Council Bluffs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,039 | $1,143 | $1,209 | $1,302 | $1,348 | +29.7% | |
| Waterloo | — | — | — | — | — | — | $694 | $715 | $753 | $801 | $850 | $898 | +29.4% | |
| Dubuque | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $838 | $904 | $997 | $1,020 | $1,110 | +32.5% | |
| Ames | — | — | — | $896 | $883 | $901 | $929 | $961 | $1,021 | $1,062 | $1,093 | $1,125 | +25.6% | |
| West Des Moines | — | — | $1,072 | $1,060 | $1,086 | $1,116 | $1,119 | $1,182 | $1,250 | $1,299 | $1,330 | $1,369 | +27.7% | |
| Ankeny | — | — | — | — | $1,165 | $1,162 | $1,208 | $1,280 | $1,371 | $1,428 | $1,461 | $1,520 | +30.5% | |
| Marion | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $966 | $1,033 | $1,082 | $1,129 | $1,278 | +32.3% | |
| Urbandale | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,108 | $1,120 | $1,121 | $1,197 | +8.0% | |
| Bettendorf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,062 | $1,094 | $1,188 | $1,231 | $1,327 | +25.0% | |
| Cedar Falls | — | — | $900 | $933 | $979 | $992 | $1,005 | $1,100 | $1,113 | $1,166 | $1,209 | $1,264 | +40.4% | |
| Marshalltown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $930 | +0.0% | |
| Fort Dodge | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $843 | +0.0% | |
| Burlington | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $983 | +0.0% | |
| Waukee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,444 | $1,558 | $1,628 | $1,602 | $1,665 | +15.3% | |
| Johnston | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,335 | $1,382 | +3.5% | |
| Coralville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $963 | $1,035 | $1,075 | $1,139 | $1,263 | +31.2% | |
| North Liberty | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,288 | $1,361 | $1,414 | $1,488 | $1,655 | +28.5% | |
| Altoona | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,436 | +0.0% | |
| Newton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $962 | +0.0% | |
| Indianola | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,382 | +0.0% | |
| Clive | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,524 | +0.0% | |
| Grimes | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,374 | $1,435 | +4.4% | |
| Norwalk | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,189 | +0.0% | |
| Pella | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,010 | $1,085 | +7.4% | |
| Knoxville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $941 | +0.0% | |
| Boone | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $947 | +0.0% | |
| Bondurant | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,104 | +0.0% | |
| Pleasant Hill | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,346 | +0.0% | |
| Osceola | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,116 | +0.0% | |
| Oelwein | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $856 | +0.0% | |
| Hiawatha | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,074 | +0.0% | |
| Fairfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $707 | +0.0% | |
| Windsor Heights | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,335 | +0.0% | |
| Perry | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $913 | +0.0% | |
| Tiffin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,864 | +0.0% |
Click any column header to sort · % Chg uses earliest available year → 2026
Frequently asked questions — Iowa rent
Is Iowa cheap to rent in 2026?
Yes — relative to the national market. The average rent across 40 tracked Iowa cities is about $1,231/month, which is $734 below (-37.4% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965. That is a city-average in our sample, not a single statewide ZORI print, but it is a clear signal that Iowa screens cheaper than the U.S. typical $1,965.
What city in Iowa has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Fairfield is the lowest at about $707/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Fort Dodge ($843), Oelwein ($856), Waterloo ($898).
What city in Iowa has the most expensive rent?
Bondurant leads our sample at about $2,104/month in 2026, followed by Tiffin ($1,864) and Waukee ($1,665).
How much have rents in Iowa changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $791 in 2015 to $1,231 in 2026 (+55.6%). 1 of 40 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Des Moines (+41.7%).
Are rents in Iowa still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Iowa cities went from about $1,199 to $1,231 (+2.7%). Since 2023 ($1,104), that is +11.5%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.
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