What is the median rent in Polk City, IA?

Name: Median rent in Polk City, IA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The median gross rent in Polk City, IA is $782 (±$177) a month, according to the US Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

That is across 170 rented homes; gross rent is the contract rent plus the utilities and fuels a renter pays separately.

In Polk City, the median gross rent went from $1,152 in 2015–2019 to $782 in 2020–2024 (−32.1%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years, so it fell after inflation as well.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Median gross rent: $782 (±$177)
Rented homes: 170 (±133)
$2,000 or more: 8.8%
Since 2015–2019: −32.1%

How much rent costs in Polk City

Share of rented homes in each gross-rent range, 2020–2024
Monthly gross rent	Polk City	Polk County	Iowa	United States
Less than $500	0.0% (±13.6 points)	4.3%	8.4%	6.3%
$500 to $999	67.6% (±27.8 points)	29.8%	44.8%	20.2%
$1,000 to $1,499	23.5% (±23.1 points)	43.8%	32.3%	28.1%
$1,500 to $1,999	0.0% (±13.6 points)	16.3%	9.8%	21.1%
$2,000 to $2,499	8.8% (±15.5 points)	4.1%	2.7%	12.0%
$2,500 to $2,999	0.0% (±13.6 points)	0.7%	0.6%	5.5%
$3,000 or more	0.0% (±13.6 points)	1.0%	1.4%	6.8%

The most common range is $500 to $999, paid by 67.6% of renting households.

8.8% of rented homes in Polk City cost $2,000 or more a month.

Polk City against Polk County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Polk City	Polk County	Iowa	United States
Median gross rent	$782 (±$177)	$1,149 (±$16)	$972 (±$6)	$1,413
Rented homes paying rent	170 (±133)	65,326 (±1,758)	350,667 (±3,497)	42,849,984

In Polk City, median gross rent is lower than in Polk County ($1,149).

It is also lower than in Iowa ($972).

It is lower than the national figure ($1,413).

In Polk County, Polk City ranks 13 of 15 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest median gross rent.

Statewide, it ranks 387 of 727.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How rent in Polk City has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Median gross rent	$1,152 (±$49)	$782 (±$177)	−32.1%	Down after inflation
Households that rent	16.5% (±5.5 points)	10.9% (±6.3 points)	−5.6 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Rental vacancy rate	0.0% (±8.9 points)	0.0% (±10.0 points)	0.0 percentage points	Not a measurable change

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Median gross rent in places near Polk City

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Polk City
Place	Distance	Median gross rent	Compared with this place
Polk City	—	$782 (±$177)	—
Granger	5.1 mi	$843 (±$46)	Not measurably different
Johnston	6.2 mi	$1,338 (±$72)	Higher
Slater	7.0 mi	$895 (±$129)	Not measurably different
Ankeny	7.2 mi	$1,319 (±$72)	Higher
Madrid	8.2 mi	$1,029 (±$467)	Not measurably different
Grimes	8.3 mi	$1,251 (±$140)	Higher
Elkhart	10 mi	$836 (±$805)	Not measurably different
Huxley	10 mi	$1,393 (±$389)	Higher

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Johnston, IA ($1,338), Ankeny, IA ($1,319), Grimes, IA ($1,251).

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

Median gross rent across Polk County, place by place

Rank	Place	Median gross rent
7	Altoona	$1,235 (±$104)
8	Pleasant Hill	$1,215 (±$105)
9	Urbandale	$1,211 (±$55)
10	Des Moines	$1,090 (±$21)
11	Clive	$1,073 (±$113)
12	Elkhart	$836 (±$805)
13	Polk City	$782 (±$177)
14	Mitchellville	$779 (±$52)
15	Runnells	$444 (±$275)

Showing 9 of 15 places in Polk 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 Polk City

What is the average rent in Polk City, IA?

The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Polk City is $782 (±$177) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.

How much has rent gone up in Polk City?

In Polk City, the median gross rent went from $1,152 in 2015–2019 to $782 in 2020–2024 (−32.1%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years, so it fell after inflation as well.

How many rentals in Polk City cost more than $2,000 a month?

8.8% of rented homes in Polk City have a gross rent of $2,000 or more a month, and 0.0% cost less than $500.

Is rent in Polk City higher than in Polk County?

In Polk City, median gross rent is lower than in Polk County ($1,149).

It is also lower than in Iowa ($972).

It is lower than the national figure ($1,413).

Is this the rent for an apartment listed today?

No: these are rents households reported paying across 2020–2024, not asking rents for vacant homes, which usually run higher.

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 Polk City city, Iowa (place:64020, in state:19).

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

The 2015–2019 figures are B25064_001E, B25064_001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP04_0126E, DP04_0126M, DP04_0127PE, DP04_0127PM, DP04_0128PE, DP04_0128PM, DP04_0129PE, DP04_0129PM, DP04_0130PE, DP04_0130PM, DP04_0131PE, DP04_0131PM, DP04_0132PE, DP04_0132PM, DP04_0133PE, DP04_0133PM

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.