Des Moines, IA housing market
The typical Des Moines home is worth about $211,000, about the same as a year ago, 12% below the Iowa typical home. Homes typically sell in 26 days, close to asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Des Moines compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Des Moines at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 2.4 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Des Moines | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $127,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $136,000 | $152,000 |
| 2019 | $146,000 | $159,000 |
| 2020 | $152,000 | $167,000 |
| 2021 | $163,000 | $179,000 |
| 2022 | $177,000 | $195,000 |
| 2023 | $191,000 | $211,000 |
| 2024 | $202,000 | $218,000 |
| 2025 | $211,000 | $228,000 |
| 2026 | $213,000 | $236,000 |
| August 2026 | $211,000 | $240,000 |
1,676 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 1,676 new homes in Des Moines in 2025: 221 single-family houses and 1,455 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $410 million to build. That's 7.9 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Iowa (4.7). Over the past 10 years, Des Moines has permitted 8,455 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Des Moines gained 10,700 residents while 6,967 new homes were permitted: about 1.5 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across Iowa: 1.3 new residents per new home.
How Des Moines ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 274 | 162 | 112 | $55.1 million |
| 2025 | 1,676 | 221 | 1,455 | $410 million |
| 2024 | 618 | 218 | 400 | $145.5 million |
| 2023 | 569 | 248 | 321 | $138 million |
| 2022 | 540 | 256 | 284 | $135.1 million |
| 2021 | 628 | 248 | 380 | $145.6 million |
| 2020 | 441 | 219 | 222 | $83.3 million |
| 2019 | 670 | 391 | 279 | $143 million |
| 2018 | 571 | 180 | 391 | $91.8 million |
| 2017 | 1,297 | 173 | 1,124 | $181 million |
| 2016 | 1,445 | 236 | 1,209 | $213 million |
| 2015 | 966 | 185 | 781 | $139.9 million |
| 2014 | 283 | 116 | 167 | $46.4 million |
| 2013 | 743 | 184 | 559 | $82.5 million |
| 2012 | 364 | 128 | 236 | $46.3 million |
| 2011 | 224 | 115 | 109 | $31 million |
| 2010 | 404 | 143 | 261 | $60.2 million |
| 2009 | 242 | 134 | 108 | $35.2 million |
| 2008 | 540 | 165 | 375 | $66.7 million |
| 2007 | 506 | 309 | 197 | $72.2 million |
| 2006 | 741 | 287 | 454 | $112.1 million |
| 2005 | 778 | 453 | 325 | $105.7 million |
| 2004 | 734 | 447 | 287 | $105.7 million |
| 2003 | 658 | 411 | 247 | $76.1 million |
| 2002 | 496 | 342 | 154 | $61.2 million |
| 2001 | 369 | 283 | 86 | $44.3 million |
| 2000 | 327 | 312 | 15 | $38.7 million |
How Des Moines ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Des Moines and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | $211K | −0.2% | $1,260 | 1,676 | $65,932 |
| West Des Moines | $322K | +0.5% | $1,410 | 344 | $86,594 |
| Pleasant Hill | $304K | +0.3% | $1,390 | 34 | $90,508 |
| Urbandale | $352K | +0.3% | $1,470 | 646 | $112,795 |
| Norwalk | $334K | +1% | $1,300 | 237 | $102,722 |
| Windsor Heights | $287K | +1.3% | $1,500 | 0 | $91,707 |
3.2 years of income
The typical Des Moines home costs about 3.2 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across Iowa (3.2).
How Des Moines ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,260
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Des Moines is $1,260 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Des Moines pay a median of $1,090, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 23% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,010 · 4 bedrooms $1,760
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (50047, 50211, 50309, 50310, 50311, 50312 and 7 more; Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Des Moines
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.