Renting in Urbandale, Iowa
Zillow's typical rent in Urbandale for September 2026 is $1,038 a month, up 1.5% from $1,022 in September 2025. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2020–2024 puts the median gross rent, which includes the utilities a renter pays, at $1,211 (± $55) and renter households at 21.9% (± 2.6 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, one is lower and ten are higher than Urbandale's $1,038 (Zillow Observed Rent Index; what it measures).
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 puts the median gross rent in Urbandale at $1,211 (± $55), in 2024 dollars, with the utilities the renter pays (how it differs from Zillow's figure).
By number of bedrooms
| Bedrooms | Median gross rent |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $1,110 ± $72 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,145 ± $56 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,624 ± $121 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,628 ± $238 |
Renters in Urbandale
Of the 17,547 (± 492) occupied homes in Urbandale, about 3,848 (± 477) are rented: 21.9%, with a margin of error of 2.6 points.
Median household income in Urbandale, in 2024 dollars: renter households $52,122 (± $12,845) and owner households $136,628 (± $9,883).
Of the 3,620 (± 491) renter households for which the survey could compute rent as a share of income, 38.6% (± 8.4 points) paid 30% or more of household income in gross rent and 23.0% (± 7.2 points) paid 50% or more.
Type of building
| Building | Share of rented homes |
|---|---|
| 1-unit buildings: detached houses, and attached ones such as row houses | 30.8% ± 5.6 points · about 1,184 homes |
| Buildings with 2 to 4 units | 9.0% ± 5.3 points · about 348 homes |
| Buildings with 5 to 19 units | 22.8% ± 5.3 points · about 879 homes |
| Buildings with 20 or more units | 35.1% ± 6.6 points · about 1,350 homes |
| Mobile homes, boats, RVs and vans | 2.3% ± 1.9 points · about 87 homes |
Shares of 3,848 (± 477) rented homes.
American Community Survey 2020–2024, 90% margins of error. Left out for Urbandale, with the reason (the limits): median gross rent for studios (margin of error 30% of the median) and 5 or more bedrooms (margin of error 33% of the median).
Owning the typical home, month by month
The Buy vs Rent calculator's arithmetic for a home at Zillow's typical value for Urbandale. Zillow's typical rent there is $1,038 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$35,039; loan $315,349 | 20% down$70,078; loan $280,310 |
|---|---|---|
| Home priceZillow typical value, September 2026 | $350,388 | $350,388 |
| Principal and interest30-year fixed at 7.18%: Freddie Mac's U.S. average, week ending November 5, 2026 | $2,136 | $1,899 |
| Property tax$5,856 a year: Urbandale city, Urbandale schools, Polk County district, $38.73273 per $1,000, after the 44.5345% rollback, less the homestead credit | $488 | $488 |
| Insurance allowance0.5% of the price a year | $146 | $146 |
| Maintenance allowance1% of the price a year | $292 | $292 |
| Monthly cost to own | $3,062 | $2,825 |
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. Urbandale's 13 taxing districts run from $33.45648 to $39.90512 per $1,000 (every district).
Open these numbers in the Buy vs Rent calculator (10% down) →
Urbandale rental-housing rules
What the City of Urbandale says about rental housing in the city, quoted from its website as of November 5, 2026:
- “Property Owners / Property Managers are required to:”
- “Register via our online portal”
- “Apply for a License, also known as a Housing Certificate”
- “Single-Family or Duplex Certificates are valid for two years.” (Housing Code)
- “Multi-Family Certificates are valid for one year.” (Housing Code)
The city's own wording. The Iowa Code's rules apply as well.
More on Urbandale
- Buying a home in Urbandale
- Urbandale property taxes
- School districts: Dallas Center-Grimes, Des Moines Independent, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines
- Iowa renter rules
- Renting in the Des Moines metro
← Renting in Waukee · Renting in Clive →
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.
- Polk County Auditor, Consolidated Tax Levy Rates For Polk County, Iowa: For 2025 Assessed Valuations, Taxes Payable September 2026 and March 2027 (City Non-Agricultural section). Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
- City of Urbandale, Housing Code. 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.