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IAIowa rankings

Towns with the cheapest rent in Iowa

Ranked by median gross rent — rent plus utilities — across all rented homes. 140 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

1 Emmetsburg $624/mo Median income $55,833 2 Hampton $631/mo Median income $47,088 3 Clarinda $660/mo Median income $46,348
#TownMedian rentMedian incomeHome value
1 Emmetsburg3,648 people $624/mo $55,833 $114,300
2 Hampton4,306 people $631/mo $47,088 $99,400
3 Clarinda5,353 people $660/mo $46,348 $114,200
4 Map of Williamsburg Williamsburg3,360 people $671/mo $58,059 $204,300
5 Chariton4,242 people $689/mo $46,979 $81,900
6 Osage3,561 people $692/mo $68,730 $160,700
7 Waukon3,792 people $696/mo $60,269 $147,200
8 Marengo2,725 people $700/mo $57,941 $123,200
9 Map of Creston Creston7,435 people $703/mo $52,633 $114,500
10 Cresco3,908 people $715/mo $60,608 $117,200
11 Forest City4,290 people $720/mo $69,205 $143,500
12 Map of Carroll Carroll10,208 people $722/mo $69,706 $188,700
13 Monticello4,071 people $722/mo $70,015 $175,200
14 Cherokee5,154 people $728/mo $61,750 $136,700
15 Denison8,260 people $731/mo $65,684 $150,200
16 Charles City7,232 people $735/mo $59,180 $115,400
17 Map of Humboldt Humboldt4,771 people $740/mo $74,500 $173,600
18 Map of Garner Garner3,049 people $740/mo $70,726 $186,300
19 New Hampton New Hampton3,453 people $743/mo $62,870 $167,700
20 Eldora2,617 people $750/mo $77,188 $133,000
21 Missouri Valley2,666 people $753/mo $71,818 $148,500
22 Estherville5,839 people $754/mo $54,124 $101,400
23 Jefferson4,152 people $754/mo $58,895 $155,800
24 Map of Centerville Centerville5,372 people $755/mo $46,563 $103,000
25 Clarion2,770 people $763/mo $64,625 $116,200
26 Atlantic6,763 people $764/mo $61,141 $149,900
27 Shenandoah4,892 people $774/mo $59,783 $116,700
28 Sibley Sibley2,803 people $774/mo $55,070 $122,000
29 Map of Mitchellville Mitchellville2,579 people $779/mo $81,172 $206,600
30 Map of Mount Vernon Mount Vernon4,513 people $780/mo $112,656 $245,200
31 Polk City6,037 people $782/mo $164,389 $414,800
32 Harlan4,891 people $783/mo $57,488 $152,500
33 Map of Fort Dodge Fort Dodge24,827 people $785/mo $60,649 $144,100
34 Orange City6,426 people $789/mo $82,122 $264,000
35 Clinton Clinton24,322 people $791/mo $60,230 $118,200
36 Maquoketa6,075 people $795/mo $60,240 $132,500
37 Center Point2,562 people $798/mo $95,192 $212,400
38 West Burlington3,189 people $800/mo $48,542 $124,000
39 Map of Knoxville Knoxville7,473 people $801/mo $61,599 $160,300
40 Manchester5,191 people $802/mo $61,191 $139,400
41 Spencer11,400 people $805/mo $59,667 $184,800
42 Wilton2,920 people $805/mo $76,648 $189,200
43 Clear Lake7,607 people $808/mo $79,415 $259,500
44 Red Oak5,510 people $812/mo $50,109 $99,700
45 Camanche4,550 people $812/mo $64,153 $172,400
46 Map of Rock Rapids Rock Rapids2,661 people $812/mo $63,942 $206,700
47 Newton Newton15,700 people $819/mo $57,771 $153,700
48 Independence6,164 people $820/mo $73,806 $165,300
49 Map of Fort Madison Fort Madison10,133 people $826/mo $50,705 $94,200
50 Mount Pleasant8,951 people $826/mo $61,042 $160,900
51 Map of Belmond Belmond2,694 people $830/mo $56,528 $129,100
52 Boone12,424 people $831/mo $69,222 $173,000
53 Map of Oskaloosa Oskaloosa11,504 people $831/mo $64,004 $153,300
54 Iowa Falls5,038 people $831/mo $50,417 $123,800
55 Tama3,051 people $832/mo $68,661 $106,800
56 Map of Norwalk Norwalk14,183 people $838/mo $102,722 $303,100
57 Tipton3,106 people $845/mo $61,115 $165,500
58 Map of Oelwein Oelwein5,834 people $847/mo $46,653 $96,300
59 Decorah7,535 people $853/mo $64,366 $244,500
60 Map of Kalona Kalona2,692 people $853/mo $80,129 $257,900
61 Hiawatha7,206 people $855/mo $66,270 $216,900
62 Map of Postville Postville2,979 people $861/mo $49,485 $104,700
63 Map of Fairfield Fairfield9,456 people $870/mo $51,311 $156,000
64 Map of Keokuk Keokuk9,662 people $871/mo $52,711 $104,300
65 Mason City Mason City27,050 people $882/mo $64,804 $142,000
66 Algona5,377 people $885/mo $56,040 $160,800
67 Milford3,311 people $887/mo $63,369 $218,400
68 Marshalltown Marshalltown27,626 people $891/mo $69,068 $127,700
69 Grinnell9,505 people $895/mo $65,320 $209,500
70 Storm Lake11,428 people $898/mo $62,765 $172,200
71 Webster City7,769 people $907/mo $63,430 $127,200
72 Map of Spirit Lake Spirit Lake5,518 people $911/mo $65,720 $215,100
73 Map of Albia Albia3,663 people $915/mo $70,455 $130,300
74 Map of Ottumwa Ottumwa25,430 people $921/mo $61,103 $106,300
75 Waterloo67,008 people $923/mo $57,480 $152,600
76 Burlington23,728 people $924/mo $59,000 $114,300
77 Glenwood5,144 people $924/mo $71,790 $206,200
78 Adel Adel6,430 people $926/mo $95,250 $327,900
79 Le Mars10,640 people $929/mo $74,701 $219,200
80 Sheldon5,474 people $930/mo $62,159 $192,700
81 Perry7,985 people $931/mo $68,910 $121,400
82 Hawarden Hawarden2,658 people $933/mo $74,167 $136,300
83 Jesup2,561 people $933/mo $89,408 $190,200
84 Map of Vinton Vinton4,948 people $942/mo $66,495 $152,300
85 Osceola5,523 people $943/mo $68,284 $146,300
86 Map of Eldridge Eldridge6,818 people $945/mo $106,316 $350,500
87 Map of Hudson Hudson2,699 people $947/mo $120,481 $242,700
88 Dubuque59,174 people $948/mo $65,845 $204,800
89 Map of Bloomfield Bloomfield2,742 people $951/mo $60,769 $132,000
90 Nevada6,983 people $953/mo $75,094 $182,400
91 Map of DeWitt DeWitt5,546 people $955/mo $92,587 $237,100
92 Robins3,332 people $956/mo $122,262 $413,400
93 Marion41,896 people $961/mo $86,743 $241,700
94 Anamosa5,629 people $966/mo $60,650 $172,600
95 Cedar Rapids137,264 people $967/mo $70,424 $187,100
96 Map of Washington Washington7,290 people $968/mo $55,373 $152,300
97 Map of Muscatine Muscatine23,489 people $974/mo $58,117 $153,600
98 Sioux City86,101 people $976/mo $68,906 $173,600
99 Map of Davenport Davenport100,913 people $978/mo $66,200 $166,400
100 Evansdale4,518 people $979/mo $60,397 $150,300
101 Indianola16,044 people $986/mo $75,453 $237,500
102 Eagle Grove3,593 people $996/mo $63,125 $104,600
103 Map of Story City Story City3,398 people $999/mo $96,605 $215,600
104 Map of Carlisle Carlisle4,255 people $1,000/mo $109,191 $234,300
105 Ames Ames67,669 people $1,023/mo $60,991 $277,400
106 Madrid2,808 people $1,029/mo $89,844 $185,600
107 Council Bluffs Council Bluffs62,586 people $1,030/mo $64,578 $171,800
108 Onawa Onawa2,839 people $1,037/mo $62,143 $145,800
109 West Liberty West Liberty3,776 people $1,038/mo $69,345 $180,000
110 Pella10,720 people $1,046/mo $84,111 $292,700
111 West Branch2,594 people $1,053/mo $92,209 $216,100
112 Coralville23,234 people $1,057/mo $69,144 $298,500
113 Waverly10,494 people $1,057/mo $80,284 $223,300
114 Map of Clive Clive19,012 people $1,073/mo $132,121 $401,100
115 Des Moines212,421 people $1,090/mo $65,932 $194,700
116 Dyersville4,423 people $1,091/mo $83,559 $234,100
117 Iowa City75,752 people $1,094/mo $58,546 $285,900
118 Map of Winterset Winterset5,416 people $1,095/mo $67,708 $192,500
119 Map of Solon Solon3,152 people $1,127/mo $113,295 $309,400
120 Rock Valley4,059 people $1,142/mo $76,250 $231,200
121 Map of Sergeant Bluff Sergeant Bluff5,171 people $1,156/mo $123,481 $298,500
122 Bettendorf39,647 people $1,187/mo $100,495 $306,500
123 Cedar Falls40,888 people $1,203/mo $76,987 $263,600
124 Urbandale46,595 people $1,211/mo $112,795 $335,500
125 Pleasant Hill11,136 people $1,215/mo $90,508 $295,100
126 Tiffin5,737 people $1,224/mo $100,952 $338,500
127 Map of Altoona Altoona21,495 people $1,235/mo $86,114 $274,600
128 West Des Moines71,083 people $1,237/mo $86,594 $309,000
129 North Liberty21,125 people $1,246/mo $102,102 $303,800
130 Grimes16,366 people $1,251/mo $120,037 $304,700
131 Ankeny72,615 people $1,319/mo $108,198 $331,000
132 Map of Carter Lake Carter Lake3,767 people $1,323/mo $85,349 $169,400
133 Bondurant8,560 people $1,337/mo $135,674 $318,800
134 Johnston24,384 people $1,338/mo $106,551 $369,100
135 Fairfax2,900 people $1,366/mo $114,375 $274,500
136 Waukee29,236 people $1,383/mo $101,029 $350,500
137 Huxley4,544 people $1,393/mo $112,094 $297,100
138 Map of Windsor Heights Windsor Heights5,143 people $1,498/mo $91,707 $267,900
139 Asbury5,989 people $1,522/mo $124,957 $339,000
140 Le Claire4,735 people $1,563/mo $104,844 $318,700

How this ranking works

We rank every town by median gross rent — rent plus utilities — across all rented homes. The town with the lowest figure ranks #1. For comparison, the figure for Iowa as a whole is $972/mo.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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