Iowa places ranked by rent burden
147 places in Iowa have a reliable estimate of rent burden (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Highest figures: Alta (74.4%), Clarence (73.5%), Baxter (72.2%).
Lowest figure: Missouri Valley (23.8%).
The figure for Iowa as a whole is 43.9% (±0.8 points).
Figures last updated on .
- Figure for Iowa as a whole
- 43.9% (±0.8 points)
- Places ranked
- 147
Iowa places ranked by rent burden
| Rank | Place | County | Renters paying 30% or more of income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alta | Buena Vista County | 74.4% (±17.3 points) |
| 2 | Clarence | Cedar County | 73.5% (±22.0 points) |
| 3 | Baxter | Jasper County | 72.2% (±27.1 points) |
| 4 | Sibley | Osceola County | 70.1% (±14.1 points) |
| 5 | Shelby | Shelby County | 69.9% (±26.2 points) |
| 6 | Albia | Monroe County | 66.8% (±26.7 points) |
| 7 | Monona | Clayton County | 65.7% (±23.6 points) |
| 8 | Fayette | Fayette County | 65.4% (±22.9 points) |
| 9 | Audubon | Audubon County | 63.4% (±16.2 points) |
| 10 | Tipton | Cedar County | 62.7% (±18.0 points) |
| 11 | Red Oak | Montgomery County | 62.5% (±14.6 points) |
| 12 | Windsor Heights | Polk County | 62.2% (±23.8 points) |
| 13 | Iowa City | Johnson County | 61.9% (±4.1 points) |
| 14 | Sac City | Sac County | 60.6% (±19.7 points) |
| 15 | Panora | Guthrie County | 60.5% (±26.5 points) |
| 16 | Sanborn | O'Brien County | 60.4% (±18.6 points) |
| 17 | University Heights | Johnson County | 60.0% (±16.0 points) |
| 18 | Dunlap | Harrison County | 59.7% (±18.1 points) |
| 19 | Mapleton | Monona County | 59.6% (±22.3 points) |
| 20 | Solon | Johnson County | 59.2% (±20.2 points) |
| 21 | Mediapolis | Des Moines County | 59.1% (±17.5 points) |
| 22 | Cedar Falls | Black Hawk County | 57.5% (±6.8 points) |
| 23 | Oelwein | Fayette County | 57.2% (±18.1 points) |
| 24 | Fairfield | Jefferson County | 56.9% (±11.3 points) |
| 25 | Coralville | Johnson County | 55.1% (±8.1 points) |
| 26 | Maquoketa | Jackson County | 54.6% (±11.2 points) |
| 27 | Marion | Linn County | 54.5% (±9.7 points) |
| 28 | Riceville | Howard County | 53.9% (±25.1 points) |
| 29 | Onawa | Monona County | 53.7% (±20.9 points) |
| 30 | Cherokee | Cherokee County | 53.6% (±16.3 points) |
| 31 | Atlantic | Cass County | 53.5% (±11.5 points) |
| 32 (tie) | Anamosa | Jones County | 53.1% (±17.1 points) |
| 32 (tie) | Clinton | Clinton County | 53.1% (±8.8 points) |
| 34 | Keokuk | Lee County | 53.0% (±10.1 points) |
| 35 | Belmond | Wright County | 52.7% (±24.2 points) |
| 36 (tie) | Manchester | Delaware County | 52.5% (±15.6 points) |
| 36 (tie) | West Burlington | Des Moines County | 52.5% (±18.2 points) |
| 38 | Harlan | Shelby County | 52.1% (±18.4 points) |
| 39 | Guttenberg | Clayton County | 52.0% (±24.2 points) |
| 40 | Sheffield | Franklin County | 51.9% (±22.3 points) |
| 41 | Muscatine | Muscatine County | 51.6% (±8.5 points) |
| 42 | Fort Madison | Lee County | 51.5% (±14.6 points) |
| 43 | Newton | Jasper County | 51.4% (±8.9 points) |
| 44 | Mitchellville | Polk County | 50.7% (±24.2 points) |
| 45 | Avoca | Pottawattamie County | 50.5% (±17.9 points) |
| 46 | Denver | Bremer County | 50.4% (±16.2 points) |
| 47 | Ames | Story County | 50.2% (±4.2 points) |
| 48 (tie) | Garner | Hancock County | 50.0% (±22.9 points) |
| 48 (tie) | Iowa Falls | Hardin County | 50.0% (±14.6 points) |
| 50 | Davenport | Scott County | 49.9% (±4.1 points) |
| 51 | Montezuma | Poweshiek County | 49.6% (±19.9 points) |
| 52 | Manning | Carroll County | 49.5% (±18.1 points) |
| 53 (tie) | Burlington | Des Moines County | 49.1% (±9.1 points) |
| 53 (tie) | Charles City | Floyd County | 49.1% (±16.2 points) |
| 53 (tie) | Emmetsburg | Palo Alto County | 49.1% (±15.1 points) |
| 56 (tie) | Des Moines | Polk County | 48.8% (±3.2 points) |
| 56 (tie) | Sigourney | Keokuk County | 48.8% (±21.0 points) |
| 58 (tie) | Ackley | Hardin County | 48.7% (±21.5 points) |
| 58 (tie) | Dubuque | Dubuque County | 48.7% (±4.9 points) |
| 60 | Ottumwa | Wapello County | 48.5% (±8.1 points) |
| 61 | Pleasant Hill | Polk County | 47.6% (±18.3 points) |
| 62 (tie) | Altoona | Polk County | 47.4% (±13.1 points) |
| 62 (tie) | Bellevue | Jackson County | 47.4% (±16.6 points) |
| 64 | Evansdale | Black Hawk County | 47.3% (±18.0 points) |
| 65 (tie) | Mount Ayr | Ringgold County | 47.1% (±19.1 points) |
| 65 (tie) | Shenandoah | Page County | 47.1% (±15.3 points) |
| 67 (tie) | Adel | Dallas County | 47.0% (±16.1 points) |
| 67 (tie) | Carlisle | Warren County | 47.0% (±21.8 points) |
| 67 (tie) | DeWitt | Clinton County | 47.0% (±18.7 points) |
| 67 (tie) | Reinbeck | Grundy County | 47.0% (±19.1 points) |
| 71 (tie) | Indianola | Warren County | 46.6% (±9.7 points) |
| 71 (tie) | Winterset | Madison County | 46.6% (±16.1 points) |
| 73 | Eldridge | Scott County | 46.4% (±21.1 points) |
| 74 (tie) | Johnston | Polk County | 46.2% (±9.0 points) |
| 74 (tie) | Osceola | Clarke County | 46.2% (±19.3 points) |
| 76 | Centerville | Appanoose County | 46.1% (±11.8 points) |
| 77 | Traer | Tama County | 45.5% (±13.8 points) |
| 78 (tie) | Tama | Tama County | 45.4% (±17.8 points) |
| 78 (tie) | Waterloo | Black Hawk County | 45.4% (±3.4 points) |
| 80 | Council Bluffs | Pottawattamie County | 45.3% (±4.5 points) |
| 81 | Cedar Rapids | Linn County | 45.2% (±3.7 points) |
| 82 | Grinnell | Poweshiek County | 45.0% (±14.4 points) |
| 83 (tie) | Fort Dodge | Webster County | 44.6% (±7.5 points) |
| 83 (tie) | Postville | Allamakee County | 44.6% (±16.7 points) |
| 85 | Woodbine | Harrison County | 44.3% (±14.9 points) |
| 86 | Corning | Adams County | 43.8% (±18.0 points) |
| 87 | Sioux City | Woodbury County | 43.1% (±4.5 points) |
| 88 | West Des Moines | Polk County | 42.8% (±4.4 points) |
| 89 (tie) | Boone | Boone County | 42.5% (±11.4 points) |
| 89 (tie) | Greenfield | Adair County | 42.5% (±13.5 points) |
| 91 (tie) | Ankeny | Polk County | 42.4% (±7.2 points) |
| 91 (tie) | Estherville | Emmet County | 42.4% (±14.6 points) |
| 91 (tie) | Lamoni | Decatur County | 42.4% (±15.2 points) |
| 94 | Mount Pleasant | Henry County | 41.8% (±11.5 points) |
| 95 | Washington | Washington County | 41.7% (±13.0 points) |
| 96 (tie) | Clive | Polk County | 41.5% (±11.8 points) |
| 96 (tie) | Knoxville | Marion County | 41.5% (±14.1 points) |
| 98 | Manson | Calhoun County | 40.9% (±15.7 points) |
| 99 | Holstein | Ida County | 40.6% (±18.0 points) |
| 100 | Corydon | Wayne County | 40.5% (±15.7 points) |
| 101 | Pella | Marion County | 40.2% (±8.7 points) |
| 102 | Carroll | Carroll County | 40.1% (±13.8 points) |
| 103 | Northwood | Worth County | 39.7% (±18.8 points) |
| 104 | Waukon | Allamakee County | 39.6% (±15.7 points) |
| 105 | Bettendorf | Scott County | 39.2% (±6.1 points) |
| 106 (tie) | Hiawatha | Linn County | 38.7% (±16.1 points) |
| 106 (tie) | Marengo | Iowa County | 38.7% (±18.7 points) |
| 108 (tie) | Spencer | Clay County | 38.5% (±11.1 points) |
| 108 (tie) | Urbandale | Polk County | 38.5% (±8.5 points) |
| 110 (tie) | Humboldt | Humboldt County | 38.4% (±13.9 points) |
| 110 (tie) | Orange City | Sioux County | 38.4% (±16.8 points) |
| 112 | Norwalk | Warren County | 38.2% (±17.6 points) |
| 113 (tie) | Decorah | Winneshiek County | 37.8% (±10.0 points) |
| 113 (tie) | West Union | Fayette County | 37.8% (±16.0 points) |
| 115 | North Liberty | Johnson County | 37.7% (±11.3 points) |
| 116 (tie) | Cresco | Howard County | 37.5% (±17.7 points) |
| 116 (tie) | Denison | Crawford County | 37.5% (±13.4 points) |
| 116 (tie) | Lake Mills | Winnebago County | 37.5% (±17.8 points) |
| 119 (tie) | Guthrie Center | Guthrie County | 37.3% (±16.2 points) |
| 119 (tie) | Oskaloosa | Mahaska County | 37.3% (±8.5 points) |
| 121 (tie) | Cascade | Dubuque County | 37.2% (±17.4 points) |
| 121 (tie) | Mason City | Cerro Gordo County | 37.2% (±6.3 points) |
| 123 | Nevada | Story County | 37.1% (±13.3 points) |
| 124 | Creston | Union County | 36.9% (±11.0 points) |
| 125 (tie) | Glenwood | Mills County | 36.7% (±15.6 points) |
| 125 (tie) | Hills | Johnson County | 36.7% (±18.0 points) |
| 127 | Stuart | Guthrie County | 36.1% (±15.4 points) |
| 128 | Independence | Buchanan County | 36.0% (±12.0 points) |
| 129 | Perry | Dallas County | 35.6% (±12.8 points) |
| 130 | Clarinda | Page County | 34.6% (±14.1 points) |
| 131 | Osage | Mitchell County | 34.4% (±16.9 points) |
| 132 (tie) | Forest City | Winnebago County | 33.8% (±15.9 points) |
| 132 (tie) | Waverly | Bremer County | 33.8% (±11.4 points) |
| 134 (tie) | Marshalltown | Marshall County | 33.7% (±7.2 points) |
| 134 (tie) | Spirit Lake | Dickinson County | 33.7% (±10.2 points) |
| 136 | Jefferson | Greene County | 33.6% (±14.6 points) |
| 137 | Waukee | Dallas County | 32.9% (±6.2 points) |
| 138 | Le Mars | Plymouth County | 32.7% (±10.5 points) |
| 139 | Webster City | Hamilton County | 32.5% (±12.8 points) |
| 140 | Clear Lake | Cerro Gordo County | 32.4% (±12.5 points) |
| 141 (tie) | Algona | Kossuth County | 32.2% (±11.9 points) |
| 141 (tie) | Rock Valley | Sioux County | 32.2% (±14.6 points) |
| 143 | Bloomfield | Davis County | 29.0% (±12.9 points) |
| 144 | Storm Lake | Buena Vista County | 28.9% (±11.5 points) |
| 145 | Grimes | Polk County | 27.9% (±10.3 points) |
| 146 | Leon | Decatur County | 23.9% (±11.7 points) |
| 147 | Missouri Valley | Harrison County | 23.8% (±9.8 points) |
How this ranking is built
A place is included when its own page for this figure is published as reliable: a coefficient of variation of 30% or less and enough surveyed homes.
147 places qualify; the rest are on their own pages with their margins, but not ranked here.
The ranking orders the estimates alone: where two places’ margins of error overlap, their ranks may not truly differ, and places at the same published figure share a rank.
A median published as a bound (“$3,500 or more”) is placed at the bound; its true place may be higher.
- Iowa places ranked by median rent
- Iowa places ranked by median home value
- Iowa places ranked by median household income
- Iowa places ranked by property taxes
- Iowa places ranked by share of renters
- Iowa places ranked by age of homes
- Iowa places ranked by rental vacancy rate
- Iowa places ranked by commute time
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Iowa
Which place in Iowa has the highest rent burden?
Alta has the highest, 74.4% (±17.3 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Which place in Iowa has the lowest rent burden?
Missouri Valley has the lowest, 23.8% (±9.8 points).
What is the rent burden in Iowa?
The figure for Iowa as a whole is 43.9% (±0.8 points).
Sources
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; each place’s own table is linked from its page
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Iowa
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.
Figures last updated on .