Renting in Norwalk, Iowa
Zillow's typical rent in Norwalk for September 2026 is $1,208 a month. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2020–2024 puts the median gross rent, which includes the utilities a renter pays, at $838 (± $126) and renter households at 17.5% (± 4.8 points) of the city's occupied homes.
Rent
Of the other eleven typical rents Zillow published for September 2026 for the cities this site covers, three are lower and eight are higher than Norwalk's $1,208 (Zillow Observed Rent Index; what it measures). Zillow's monthly series for Norwalk runs without a gap only from March 2026, so there is no September 2025 figure to compare with.
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 puts the median gross rent in Norwalk at $838 (± $126), in 2024 dollars, with the utilities the renter pays (how it differs from Zillow's figure).
By number of bedrooms
| Bedrooms | Median gross rent |
|---|---|
| 2 bedrooms | $888 ± $122 |
Renters in Norwalk
Of the 5,610 (± 264) occupied homes in Norwalk, about 981 (± 272) are rented: 17.5%, with a margin of error of 4.8 points.
Median household income in Norwalk, in 2024 dollars: owner households $114,589 (± $7,398).
American Community Survey 2020–2024, 90% margins of error. Left out for Norwalk, with the reason (the limits): median gross rent for studios, 1 bedroom, 4 bedrooms and 5 or more bedrooms (no estimate published) and 3 bedrooms (margin of error 64% of the median); renter households' median income (margin of error wider than 25% of it); rent as a share of income (margins of error wider than 10 points); rented homes by type of building (fewer than two types within 10 points).
Owning the typical home, month by month
The Buy vs Rent calculator's arithmetic for a home at Zillow's typical value for Norwalk. Zillow's typical rent there is $1,208 a month (September 2026). It covers apartments as well as houses and condos, so it describes different homes from the typical value priced here.
| Per month | 10% down$33,475; loan $301,273 | 20% down$66,950; loan $267,798 |
|---|---|---|
| Home priceZillow typical value, September 2026 | $334,748 | $334,748 |
| Principal and interest30-year fixed at 7.18%: Freddie Mac's U.S. average, week ending November 5, 2026 | $2,041 | $1,814 |
| Property tax$5,535 a year: Norwalk city, Norwalk schools, Warren County, Greenfield Township part district, $38.37867 per $1,000, after the 44.5345% rollback, less the homestead credit | $461 | $461 |
| Insurance allowance0.5% of the price a year | $139 | $139 |
| Maintenance allowance1% of the price a year | $279 | $279 |
| Monthly cost to own | $2,921 | $2,694 |
Rounded to the dollar, totals before rounding. The price stands in for the assessed value. The tax takes off the homestead credit, as the calculator does; a buyer now gets the new homestead exemption instead (how this is figured). Not counted: mortgage insurance, closing costs, HOA dues, utilities, equity and changes in value. Norwalk's four taxing districts run from $38.37867 to $41.44617 per $1,000 (every district).
Open these numbers in the Buy vs Rent calculator (10% down) →
Norwalk rental-housing rules
What the City of Norwalk says about rental housing in the city, quoted from three of its pages and documents as of November 5, 2026:
- “Ordinance 24-24 amending Chapter 169 Rental Housing Code, to adopt the International Property Maintenance Code with Amendments” (Abridged Minutes of the Norwalk Regular City Council Meeting, September 19, 2024)
- “If the completed Complaint Form is found to be valid, the department will contact the property owner as quickly as possible to schedule a complaint inspection.” (Submitting a Rental Housing Code Complaint (brochure))
- “Rental housing inspection certificate applications cost $100 for a Single Family Home.” (Rental Inspections (Rentals in Norwalk; forms and applications))
Also on the city's site: Rentals page (forms and fees).
The city's own wording. The Iowa Code's rules apply as well.
More on Norwalk
- Buying a home in Norwalk
- Norwalk property taxes
- School districts: Des Moines Independent, Norwalk
- Iowa renter rules
- Renting in the Des Moines metro
← Renting in Indianola · Renting in Pleasant Hill →
Sources
- Zillow Research, Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), cities, all homes plus multifamily, monthly. Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, by place: tables B25064, B25031, B25003, B25070, B25032 and B25119, via the Census Data API. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Zillow Research, Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), cities, single-family homes and condos, middle tier, monthly. Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
- Freddie Mac, via FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis), 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States (MORTGAGE30US). Retrieved November 5, 2026. Copyright, 2016, Freddie Mac. Reprinted with permission.
- Warren County Auditor, Warren County Tax Rates for Property Assessed January 1, 2025 and to be Collected July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (updated). Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
- City of Norwalk, Abridged Minutes of the Norwalk Regular City Council Meeting, September 19, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- City of Norwalk, Submitting a Rental Housing Code Complaint (brochure). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- City of Norwalk, Rental Inspections (Rentals in Norwalk; forms and applications). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
Definitions, formulas and the Iowa Code: the renting page's sources. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Published figures for the dates named, not a quote for any home or lease. Not financial, legal or real-estate advice.