Most affordable counties to rent in Iowa
Ranked by how much of the typical renter household's income the typical rent takes. Ida County is the most affordable at 15.5%; Des Moines County the least affordable at 34.3%.
| County | Rent-to-income | Median gross rent | Median renter income | Renters paying 30%+ | 2 BR FMR FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ida County | 15.5% | $696 | $53,846 | 25% | $927 |
| 2. Howard County | 17.6% | $713 | $48,750 | 27% | $927 |
| 3. Decatur County | 18.5% | $611 | $39,679 | 30% | $927 |
| 4. Mitchell County | 18.6% | $738 | $47,727 | 36% | $927 |
| 5. Lyon County | 19.1% | $843 | $53,063 | 29% | $945 |
| 6. Marshall County | 19.3% | $885 | $55,159 | 32% | $940 |
| 7. Plymouth County | 19.4% | $910 | $56,200 | 31% | $1,018 |
| 8. Allamakee County | 19.6% | $796 | $48,777 | 36% | $927 |
| 9. Calhoun County | 20.0% | $723 | $43,333 | 35% | $927 |
| 10. Chickasaw County | 20.3% | $738 | $43,550 | 30% | $927 |
| 11. Mahaska County | 20.3% | $793 | $46,770 | 33% | $946 |
| 12. Hamilton County | 20.5% | $877 | $51,361 | 32% | $1,004 |
| 13. Crawford County | 20.5% | $743 | $43,481 | 34% | $927 |
| 14. Buena Vista County | 20.6% | $894 | $52,017 | 30% | $1,031 |
| 15. Iowa County | 20.8% | $686 | $39,529 | 27% | $927 |
| 16. Pocahontas County | 21.1% | $832 | $47,267 | 41% | $927 |
| 17. Emmet County | 21.3% | $733 | $41,295 | 38% | $927 |
| 18. Hancock County | 21.3% | $736 | $41,461 | 40% | $927 |
| 19. Bremer County | 21.7% | $921 | $50,880 | 33% | $1,023 |
| 20. Marion County | 21.8% | $884 | $48,680 | 38% | $1,021 |
| 21. Fremont County | 22.1% | $746 | $40,417 | 25% | $927 |
| 22. Franklin County | 22.6% | $696 | $36,996 | 33% | $927 |
| 23. Palo Alto County | 22.6% | $638 | $33,839 | 42% | $927 |
| 24. Boone County | 22.7% | $845 | $44,693 | 38% | $967 |
| 25. O'Brien County | 22.8% | $868 | $45,781 | 32% | $927 |
| 26. Carroll County | 22.9% | $731 | $38,381 | 36% | $927 |
| 27. Kossuth County | 23.1% | $859 | $44,710 | 31% | $954 |
| 28. Harrison County | 23.1% | $849 | $44,028 | 32% | $1,450 |
| 29. Washington County | 23.3% | $879 | $45,303 | 32% | $1,002 |
| 30. Sioux County | 23.4% | $908 | $46,484 | 30% | $1,000 |
| 31. Greene County | 23.5% | $781 | $39,962 | 32% | $927 |
| 32. Dallas County | 23.5% | $1,311 | $66,859 | 37% | $1,360 |
| 33. Winneshiek County | 23.6% | $861 | $43,780 | 37% | $927 |
| 34. Hardin County | 23.7% | $795 | $40,250 | 42% | $927 |
| 35. Louisa County | 23.8% | $775 | $39,107 | 31% | $927 |
| 36. Poweshiek County | 24.0% | $883 | $44,232 | 40% | $1,014 |
| 37. Cerro Gordo County | 24.1% | $850 | $42,350 | 35% | $927 |
| 38. Grundy County | 24.1% | $774 | $38,523 | 27% | $1,096 |
| 39. Jasper County | 24.2% | $836 | $41,419 | 47% | $989 |
| 40. Butler County | 24.3% | $812 | $40,160 | 38% | $927 |
| 41. Dickinson County | 24.5% | $922 | $45,192 | 40% | $1,091 |
| 42. Page County | 25.2% | $705 | $33,528 | 41% | $927 |
| 43. Jones County | 25.3% | $784 | $37,244 | 35% | $927 |
| 44. Tama County | 25.4% | $872 | $41,250 | 36% | $945 |
| 45. Cedar County | 25.4% | $879 | $41,487 | 50% | $969 |
| 46. Delaware County | 25.5% | $764 | $35,982 | 47% | $927 |
| 47. Jackson County | 25.5% | $807 | $37,910 | 45% | $927 |
| 48. Webster County | 25.7% | $785 | $36,689 | 40% | $927 |
| 49. Clayton County | 26.1% | $790 | $36,278 | 46% | $927 |
| 50. Woodbury County | 26.3% | $981 | $44,770 | 43% | $1,194 |
| 51. Benton County | 26.3% | $826 | $37,623 | 35% | $982 |
| 52. Keokuk County | 26.4% | $828 | $37,586 | 38% | $927 |
| 53. Linn County | 26.5% | $945 | $42,870 | 45% | $1,054 |
| 54. Shelby County | 26.5% | $783 | $35,492 | 51% | $927 |
| 55. Warren County | 26.6% | $973 | $43,926 | 42% | $1,360 |
| 56. Henry County | 27.3% | $820 | $36,083 | 39% | $958 |
| 57. Clay County | 27.5% | $811 | $35,366 | 36% | $927 |
| 58. Clarke County | 27.6% | $931 | $40,445 | 44% | $946 |
| 59. Scott County | 27.7% | $1,005 | $43,582 | 47% | $1,056 |
| 60. Audubon County | 27.8% | $759 | $32,740 | 51% | $927 |
| 61. Polk County | 27.9% | $1,149 | $49,375 | 46% | $1,360 |
| 62. Madison County | 28.1% | $1,036 | $44,255 | 36% | $1,360 |
| 63. Dubuque County | 28.2% | $959 | $40,776 | 46% | $1,131 |
| 64. Story County | 28.6% | $1,018 | $42,674 | 49% | $1,061 |
| 65. Pottawattamie County | 28.8% | $1,018 | $42,408 | 45% | $1,450 |
| 66. Muscatine County | 29.0% | $971 | $40,166 | 45% | $1,093 |
| 67. Fayette County | 29.3% | $881 | $36,042 | 44% | $940 |
| 68. Black Hawk County | 29.4% | $989 | $40,390 | 49% | $1,096 |
| 69. Floyd County | 30.2% | $745 | $29,562 | 44% | $927 |
| 70. Clinton County | 30.9% | $850 | $32,963 | 48% | $927 |
| 71. Appanoose County | 31.1% | $784 | $30,220 | 47% | $927 |
| 72. Jefferson County | 31.5% | $883 | $33,671 | 51% | $1,096 |
| 73. Cass County | 31.7% | $777 | $29,395 | 49% | $927 |
| 74. Lee County | 32.4% | $835 | $30,916 | 49% | $976 |
| 75. Johnson County | 33.9% | $1,122 | $39,683 | 56% | $1,180 |
| 76. Des Moines County | 34.3% | $904 | $31,659 | 51% | $1,104 |
Rent-to-income = median gross rent × 12 ÷ median household income of renters. Both are medians of different households, so this is an area comparison, not the burden of any one household. 23 of 99 counties are left out because they have fewer than 500 renter households, a Census margin of error is too large (coefficient of variation above 15%) or a figure is not published.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2020–2024 and 2015–2019 (tables B25064, B25119, B25070). ± = margin of error at 90% confidence. Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation. FMR: HUD FY2027.
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