Renting in West Des Moines, Iowa
Zillow's typical rent in West Des Moines for September 2026 is $1,353 a month, up 2.5% from $1,319 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 $1,237 (± $30) and renter households at 42.6% (± 2.5 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, five are lower and six are higher than West Des Moines' $1,353 (Zillow Observed Rent Index; what it measures).
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 puts the median gross rent in West Des Moines at $1,237 (± $30), 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) | $1,103 ± $37 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,171 ± $58 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,239 ± $38 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,481 ± $116 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,233 ± $155 |
| 5 or more bedrooms | $1,060 ± $118 |
Renters in West Des Moines
Of the 32,233 (± 841) occupied homes in West Des Moines, about 13,742 (± 872) are rented: 42.6%, with a margin of error of 2.5 points.
Median household income in West Des Moines, in 2024 dollars: renter households $54,110 (± $4,842) and owner households $121,917 (± $6,224).
Of the 13,339 (± 893) renter households for which the survey could compute rent as a share of income, 42.8% (± 4.5 points) paid 30% or more of household income in gross rent and 17.3% (± 2.8 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 | 15.8% ± 2.6 points · about 2,167 homes |
| Buildings with 2 to 4 units | 4.8% ± 1.5 points · about 654 homes |
| Buildings with 5 to 19 units | 35.9% ± 3.8 points · about 4,931 homes |
| Buildings with 20 or more units | 43.4% ± 4.0 points · about 5,969 homes |
| Mobile homes, boats, RVs and vans | 0.2% ± 0.3 points · about 21 homes |
Shares of 13,742 (± 872) rented homes.
American Community Survey 2020–2024, 90% margins of error. (Which figures are left out.)
Owning the typical home, month by month
The Buy vs Rent calculator's arithmetic for a home at Zillow's typical value for West Des Moines. Zillow's typical rent there is $1,353 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$32,057; loan $288,509 | 20% down$64,113; loan $256,452 |
|---|---|---|
| Home priceZillow typical value, September 2026 | $320,565 | $320,565 |
| Principal and interest30-year fixed at 7.18%: Freddie Mac's U.S. average, week ending November 5, 2026 | $1,954 | $1,737 |
| Property tax$4,129 a year: West Des Moines city, West Des Moines schools, Dallas County district, $29.93950 per $1,000, after the 44.5345% rollback, less the homestead credit | $344 | $344 |
| Insurance allowance0.5% of the price a year | $134 | $134 |
| Maintenance allowance1% of the price a year | $267 | $267 |
| Monthly cost to own | $2,699 | $2,482 |
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. West Des Moines' eight taxing districts run from $29.93950 to $37.92516 per $1,000 (every district).
Open these numbers in the Buy vs Rent calculator (10% down) →
West Des Moines rental-housing rules
Every Iowa city of 15,000 or more people is subject to a housing code, and its enforcement must include regular rental inspections, inspections when a complaint is received, and certification of inspected rental housing (Iowa Code §364.17(2), (3)). West Des Moines had 68,723 people in the 2020 Census. No page of the city's own could be quoted here, because its website could not be read automatically, so ask the City of West Des Moines directly about its rental rules.
The Iowa Code's renter rules apply in every city.
More on West Des Moines
- Buying a home in West Des Moines
- West Des Moines property taxes
- School districts: Des Moines Independent, Norwalk, Van Meter, Waukee, West Des Moines
- Iowa renter rules
- Renting in the Des Moines metro
← Renting in Des Moines · Renting in Waukee →
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)
- Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code 2026, section 364.17 (city housing codes; rental inspections). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171), table P1, total population: West Des Moines, Clive and Pleasant Hill cities, Iowa. 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.