What is the rental vacancy rate in Council Bluffs, IA?

Name: Vacancy rate in Council Bluffs, IA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Council Bluffs, IA is 1.6% (±1.1 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.4% (±0.4 points).

1,593 (±355) homes, 5.8% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Council Bluffs, the rental vacancy rate went from 2.2% in 2015–2019 to 1.6% in 2020–2024 (−0.6 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 1.6% (±1.1 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.4% (±0.4 points)
Vacant homes: 1,593 (±355)

Vacancy in Council Bluffs against Pottawattamie County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Council Bluffs	Pottawattamie County	Iowa	United States
Rental vacancy rate	1.6% (±1.1 points)	1.9% (±1.0 points)	5.7% (±0.3 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.4% (±0.4 points)	0.5% (±0.3 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	1,593 (±355)	2,441 (±366)	121,992 (±3,789)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Council Bluffs, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from Pottawattamie County (1.9%).

It is also lower than in Iowa (5.7%).

It is lower than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Council Bluffs

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Council Bluffs
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Council Bluffs	—	1.6% (±1.1 points)	—
Carter Lake	4.9 mi	0.0% (±18.0 points)	Not measurably different
Bellevue	7.7 mi	6.2% (±2.0 points)	Higher
Offutt AFB	8.7 mi	4.0% (±2.8 points)	Not measurably different
Crescent	8.9 mi	0.0% (±100.0 points)	Not measurably different
Ralston	9.9 mi	9.8% (±8.0 points)	Higher
Omaha	11 mi	4.8% (±0.6 points)	Higher
McClelland	11 mi	0.0% (±100.0 points)	Not measurably different
La Vista	12 mi	1.8% (±1.9 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Bellevue, NE (6.2%), Ralston, NE (9.8%), Omaha, NE (4.8%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Pottawattamie County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
1	Walnut	8.9% (±11.2 points)
2	Neola	6.3% (±9.6 points)
3	Avoca	4.2% (±6.8 points)
4	Council Bluffs	1.6% (±1.1 points)
5 (tie)	Carson	0.0% (±33.0 points)
5 (tie)	Carter Lake	0.0% (±18.0 points)
5 (tie)	Crescent	0.0% (±100.0 points)
5 (tie)	Hancock	0.0% (±67.2 points)
5 (tie)	McClelland	0.0% (±100.0 points)
5 (tie)	Macedonia	0.0% (±47.5 points)

Showing 10 of 14 places in Pottawattamie County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Council Bluffs

Is it hard to find a rental in Council Bluffs?

The rental vacancy rate in Council Bluffs, IA is 1.6% (±1.1 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Council Bluffs tighter than it was?

In Council Bluffs, the rental vacancy rate went from 2.2% in 2015–2019 to 1.6% in 2020–2024 (−0.6 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in Council Bluffs?

An estimated 1,593 (±355) housing units, 5.8% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Council Bluffs city, Iowa (place:16860, in state:19).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.