Renting in Waukee, Iowa
Zillow's typical rent in Waukee for September 2026 is $1,640 a month, up 5.7% from $1,553 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 $1,383 (± $85) and renter households at 33.5% (± 3.7 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, ten are lower and one is higher than Waukee's $1,640 (Zillow Observed Rent Index; what it measures).
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 puts the median gross rent in Waukee at $1,383 (± $85), in 2024 dollars, with the utilities the renter pays (how it differs from Zillow's figure).
By number of bedrooms
| Bedrooms | Median gross rent |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | $1,067 ± $113 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,119 ± $19 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,467 ± $91 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,793 ± $123 |
Renters in Waukee
Of the 11,830 (± 423) occupied homes in Waukee, about 3,962 (± 459) are rented: 33.5%, with a margin of error of 3.7 points.
Median household income in Waukee, in 2024 dollars: renter households $70,474 (± $11,182) and owner households $139,911 (± $8,078).
Of the 3,962 (± 459) renter households for which the survey could compute rent as a share of income, 32.9% (± 6.2 points) paid 30% or more of household income in gross rent and 12.2% (± 3.7 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 | 31.1% ± 7.5 points · about 1,231 homes |
| Buildings with 2 to 4 units | 6.1% ± 2.8 points · about 240 homes |
| Buildings with 5 to 19 units | 18.1% ± 6.8 points · about 719 homes |
| Buildings with 20 or more units | 44.7% ± 6.4 points · about 1,772 homes |
| Mobile homes, boats, RVs and vans | 0.0% ± 0.7 points · none in the estimate |
Shares of 3,962 (± 459) rented homes.
American Community Survey 2020–2024, 90% margins of error. Left out for Waukee, with the reason (the limits): median gross rent for 5 or more bedrooms (no estimate published) and 4 bedrooms (margin of error 39% 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 Waukee. Zillow's typical rent there is $1,640 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$34,458; loan $310,121 | 20% down$68,916; loan $275,663 |
|---|---|---|
| Home priceZillow typical value, September 2026 | $344,579 | $344,579 |
| Principal and interest30-year fixed at 7.18%: Freddie Mac's U.S. average, week ending November 5, 2026 | $2,101 | $1,867 |
| Property tax$5,267 a year: Waukee city, Waukee schools, Dallas County, outside Walnut Township district, $35.44280 per $1,000, after the 44.5345% rollback, less the homestead credit | $439 | $439 |
| Insurance allowance0.5% of the price a year | $144 | $144 |
| Maintenance allowance1% of the price a year | $287 | $287 |
| Monthly cost to own | $2,971 | $2,737 |
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. Waukee's four taxing districts run from $33.94739 to $35.82677 per $1,000 (every district).
Open these numbers in the Buy vs Rent calculator (10% down) →
Waukee rental-housing rules
What the City of Waukee says about rental housing in the city, quoted from its website as of November 5, 2026:
- “NO PERSON SHALL RENT, LEASE, LET, OPERATE OR OTHERWISE ALLOW THE OCCUPANCY OF ANY DWELLING UNIT OR ANY PORTION OF ANY DWELLING UNIT (INCLUDING SLEEPING ROOMS) UNLESS THEY HOLD A VALID RENTAL INSPECTION CERTIFICATE* ISSUED BY THE CITY OF WAUKEE.” (Rental Code Enforcement)
- “*The Rental Inspection Certificate is valid for two years from date of issuance. Properties which were issued Certificates of Occupancy within the previous two years do not need to seek inspections and licensing.” (Rental Code Enforcement)
- “The Waukee Development Services Department will also respond to complaints from renters or neighbors if problems with rental properties occur.” (Rental Code Enforcement)
The city's own wording. The Iowa Code's rules apply as well.
More on Waukee
- Buying a home in Waukee
- Waukee property taxes
- School districts: Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, Van Meter, Waukee
- Iowa renter rules
- Renting in the Des Moines metro
← Renting in West Des Moines · Renting in Urbandale →
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.
- Dallas County Auditor, Dallas County Tax Rates for all Taxing Districts: January 1, 2025 Valuations for Taxes Payable in Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
- City of Waukee, Rental Code Enforcement. 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.