State FMR profile · HUD FY2026

Fair Market Rents in Iowa

The average 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Iowa is $788/mo - 18% below the US average.

Compiled by PlainRent , Fair Market Rent Editorial Process · August 5, 2026

$788
Avg 1BR FMR: 99
Counties: 8
Metro areas

The verdict

Iowa's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $989 - 16% below the US average, the 9th lowest of 51 states.

Iowa's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom averages $989, 16% below the US average - the 9th lowest of 51 states. A household needs about $39,560 in annual income to afford it under HUD's 30% affordability rule, and rents vary 64% between the state's cheapest and priciest counties.

#9
most affordable of 51 states (2BR): -16%
vs the US 2-bedroom average: $39,560
income to afford it (30% rule): 64%
gap, cheapest→priciest county

Iowa ranks 43rd priciest but 20th of 51 by rent GROWTH (+5.4% YoY) - a comparatively affordable state getting notably more expensive, worth watching.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents for 99 counties and 8 metro areas in IA. Verify with HUD →

What these rents mean for Iowa

Across Iowa's 99 counties and 8 metro areas, HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent averages $788/mo for a 1-bedroom (studio through 4-bedroom averages are broken out below). FMR is set at the county or metro FMR area level, not statewide, so that figure is the arithmetic average of every FMR area inside IA, weighted equally. Local housing authorities use each county's or metro's FMR (not the state average) to calibrate Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, typically ranging from 90% to 110% of FMR.

Benchmarked against the rest of the country, Iowa's average 1-bedroom FMR of $788 is 18% below the US average of $959. Inside the state, rents are not uniform - the cheapest 1-bedroom FMR is in Appanoose County at $700, while the most expensive is in Pottawattamie County at $1,148, a spread of roughly 64% between the lowest- and highest-cost counties. That intra-state dispersion is why urban voucher recipients, families relocating for jobs, and landlords setting Section 8 rents all need to check the specific FMR area rather than rely on a statewide figure.

For affordability, the 30% rule implies a household income of $31,520 per year (about $2,627/month) to afford Iowa's average 1-bedroom at $788. With a state population of 3,195,937 and median household income of $73,147, a significant share of Iowa renters fall above the 30% cost-burden threshold in higher-FMR counties. Pair these rent figures with Iowa's rent burden rankings and year-over-year rent growth pages to see which counties are tightening fastest and which remain comparatively affordable.

Where Iowa sits among all 50 states + DC

Average 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. every US state

$989 higher than 16% of 51 states

Each bar is a $0.1K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

State Average vs National Average

Studio

$738

-17% vs US avg

1 BR

$788

-18% vs US avg

2 BR

$989

-16% vs US avg

3 BR

$1,282

-16% vs US avg

4 BR

$1,420

-19% vs US avg

Pottawattamie County

$1,148
Mills County

$1,148
Harrison County

$1,148
Warren County

$1,109
Polk County

$1,109
Madison County

$1,109
Guthrie County

$1,109
Dallas County

$1,109
Story County

$1,026
Johnson County

$961

What this shows Inside IA, 1-bedroom FMR runs from $700 in Appanoose County to $1,148 in Pottawattamie County.

Cheapest Counties

Lowest FMR rental costs →

Most Expensive Counties

Highest FMR rental costs →

Rent Burden

% of income spent on rent →

Rent Growth

YoY rent trends by county →

Metro areas in Iowa

Each metro FMR area applies one rent schedule across all its counties, ranked here by 1-bedroom FMR.

#	Metro area	Studio	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR
1	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area	$1,063	$1,109	$1,318	$1,794	$1,841
2	Iowa City, IA HUD Metro FMR Area	$880	$961	$1,141	$1,587	$1,914
3	Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA	$817	$928	$1,143	$1,498	$1,819
4	Sioux City, IA-NE-SD MSA	$796	$925	$1,154	$1,386	$1,528
5	Dubuque, IA MSA	$774	$841	$1,077	$1,450	$1,807
6	Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA HUD Metro FMR Area	$725	$801	$1,051	$1,357	$1,763
7	Boone County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area	$783	$788	$1,026	$1,427	$1,500
8	Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area	$659	$729	$956	$1,209	$1,348

Counties in Iowa, ranked by rent (99)

All 99 counties with a published FY2026 Fair Market Rent, highest 1-bedroom first.

99 of 99

#	County	Studio	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR
1	Harrison County	$1,090	$1,148	$1,368	$1,813	$2,046
2	Mills County	$1,090	$1,148	$1,368	$1,813	$2,046
3	Pottawattamie County	$1,090	$1,148	$1,368	$1,813	$2,046
4	Dallas County	$1,063	$1,109	$1,318	$1,794	$1,841
5	Guthrie County	$1,063	$1,109	$1,318	$1,794	$1,841
6	Madison County	$1,063	$1,109	$1,318	$1,794	$1,841
7	Polk County	$1,063	$1,109	$1,318	$1,794	$1,841
8	Warren County	$1,063	$1,109	$1,318	$1,794	$1,841
9	Story County	$972	$1,026	$1,153	$1,601	$1,934
10	Johnson County	$880	$961	$1,141	$1,587	$1,914
11	Scott County	$817	$928	$1,143	$1,498	$1,819
12	Woodbury County	$796	$925	$1,154	$1,386	$1,528
13	Muscatine County	$795	$858	$1,071	$1,374	$1,605
14	Poweshiek County	$733	$853	$988	$1,303	$1,308
15	Dubuque County	$774	$841	$1,077	$1,450	$1,807
16	Audubon County	$682	$838	$919	$1,160	$1,423
17	Delaware County	$682	$838	$919	$1,102	$1,227
18	Howard County	$682	$838	$919	$1,278	$1,476
19	Montgomery County	$682	$838	$919	$1,265	$1,319
20	Shelby County	$682	$838	$919	$1,278	$1,309
21	Dickinson County	$826	$831	$1,091	$1,314	$1,445
22	Jefferson County	$821	$826	$1,084	$1,300	$1,435
23	Linn County	$738	$816	$1,071	$1,490	$1,797
24	Wapello County	$793	$814	$1,068	$1,354	$1,468
25	Cherokee County	$682	$811	$919	$1,278	$1,414
26	Des Moines County	$733	$810	$1,063	$1,369	$1,426
27	Marion County	$701	$808	$1,016	$1,218	$1,356
28	Clarke County	$682	$803	$919	$1,222	$1,227
29	Black Hawk County	$725	$801	$1,051	$1,357	$1,763
30	Grundy County	$725	$801	$1,051	$1,357	$1,763
31	Humboldt County	$682	$798	$919	$1,278	$1,436
32	Davis County	$774	$795	$1,043	$1,251	$1,392
33	Hamilton County	$738	$791	$994	$1,192	$1,316
34	Sac County	$786	$791	$919	$1,226	$1,231
35	Jasper County	$784	$789	$1,008	$1,348	$1,372
36	Boone County	$783	$788	$1,026	$1,427	$1,500
37	Carroll County	$775	$788	$919	$1,162	$1,217
38	Crawford County	$682	$788	$919	$1,212	$1,451
39	Chickasaw County	$682	$778	$919	$1,278	$1,293
40	Mitchell County	$682	$774	$919	$1,156	$1,227
41	Plymouth County	$767	$772	$980	$1,287	$1,366
42	Emmet County	$682	$771	$919	$1,222	$1,227
43	Buena Vista County	$765	$770	$1,010	$1,240	$1,337
44	Ida County	$682	$764	$919	$1,102	$1,217
45	Keokuk County	$682	$764	$919	$1,178	$1,227
46	Allamakee County	$682	$754	$919	$1,278	$1,399
47	Cerro Gordo County	$746	$750	$949	$1,226	$1,446
48	Ringgold County	$682	$748	$919	$1,125	$1,227
49	Bremer County	$674	$745	$978	$1,290	$1,295
50	Hancock County	$682	$745	$919	$1,170	$1,542
51	Lucas County	$724	$743	$975	$1,250	$1,302
52	Sioux County	$735	$740	$971	$1,246	$1,351
53	Calhoun County	$682	$736	$919	$1,162	$1,217
54	Cedar County	$717	$736	$966	$1,259	$1,279
55	Wayne County	$682	$734	$919	$1,193	$1,227
56	Lee County	$663	$733	$962	$1,270	$1,330
57	Washington County	$728	$733	$962	$1,191	$1,274
58	Marshall County	$712	$731	$959	$1,265	$1,270
59	Winnebago County	$682	$731	$919	$1,222	$1,392
60	Benton County	$659	$729	$956	$1,209	$1,348
61	Clinton County	$659	$729	$956	$1,184	$1,507
62	Fayette County	$682	$723	$919	$1,210	$1,439
63	Mahaska County	$717	$722	$947	$1,135	$1,254
64	Buchanan County	$713	$718	$942	$1,281	$1,468
65	Tama County	$698	$717	$941	$1,174	$1,330
66	Henry County	$647	$716	$939	$1,242	$1,360
67	Van Buren County	$682	$713	$919	$1,102	$1,510
68	Adams County	$692	$711	$933	$1,217	$1,235
69	Jones County	$634	$711	$919	$1,212	$1,217
70	Cass County	$682	$710	$919	$1,278	$1,496
71	Iowa County	$682	$709	$919	$1,278	$1,452
72	Fremont County	$682	$708	$919	$1,278	$1,379
73	Adair County	$687	$706	$926	$1,201	$1,285
74	Appanoose County	$682	$700	$919	$1,102	$1,306
75	Butler County	$682	$700	$919	$1,102	$1,367
76	Clay County	$682	$700	$919	$1,198	$1,217
77	Clayton County	$682	$700	$919	$1,127	$1,304
78	Decatur County	$634	$700	$919	$1,102	$1,542
79	Floyd County	$682	$700	$919	$1,192	$1,217
80	Franklin County	$682	$700	$919	$1,168	$1,542
81	Greene County	$682	$700	$919	$1,278	$1,486
82	Hardin County	$682	$700	$919	$1,208	$1,347
83	Jackson County	$682	$700	$919	$1,178	$1,217
84	Kossuth County	$682	$700	$919	$1,102	$1,217
85	Louisa County	$682	$700	$919	$1,124	$1,223
86	Lyon County	$682	$700	$919	$1,102	$1,217
87	Monona County	$682	$700	$919	$1,145	$1,542
88	Monroe County	$682	$700	$919	$1,222	$1,227
89	O'Brien County	$682	$700	$919	$1,111	$1,217
90	Osceola County	$682	$700	$919	$1,212	$1,217
91	Page County	$682	$700	$919	$1,147	$1,225
92	Palo Alto County	$682	$700	$919	$1,222	$1,227
93	Pocahontas County	$658	$700	$919	$1,125	$1,217
94	Taylor County	$682	$700	$919	$1,116	$1,217
95	Union County	$634	$700	$919	$1,212	$1,217
96	Webster County	$696	$700	$919	$1,182	$1,542
97	Winneshiek County	$682	$700	$919	$1,212	$1,217
98	Worth County	$682	$700	$919	$1,278	$1,364
99	Wright County	$682	$700	$919	$1,102	$1,217

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Iowa? ▼

The average FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Iowa is $788 per month. A 2-bedroom averages $989.

How does Iowa rent compare to the national average? ▼

Iowa rents are 18% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here averages $788 vs $959 nationally.

Where is the cheapest rent in Iowa? ▼

The most affordable county is Appanoose County with a 1-bedroom FMR of $700. The most expensive is Pottawattamie County at $1,148.

What income do I need to afford rent in Iowa? ▼

Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need at least $31,520/year ($2,627/month) to afford the average 1-bedroom FMR in Iowa.

Explore Iowa rent data

Rent burden → Rent growth → Cheapest counties → Most expensive counties → National rent-burden rankings → Affordability calculator →

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for renters

Treat Iowa's FY2026 average Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.

Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 average 1-bedroom FMR of $788 implies about $31,520/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
Iowa's counties vary widely around this average -- compare specific counties before assuming this figure applies to yours. View county rankings
See where Iowa ranks nationally on rent. National rankings

Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. This is a state-level average across 99 counties; actual asking rents in any specific county can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.

Browse all counties → | Rankings →

Data sourced from HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data. See our methodology for details. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent data (huduser.gov). Median household income and homeownership rate: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (census.gov/programs-surveys/acs).

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.