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Des Moines County, IA

Rent vs Own in Des Moines County, Iowa

Owning the median home in Des Moines County clears the monthly bar: about $902/mo versus HUD's $1,063/mo 2-bedroom rent. The stack below shows which line items create that edge. Owner-occupied homes: 12,823.

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Buying is cheaper in Des Moines County

Owning runs about $902/mo here, under $1,063/mo to rent a comparable 2-bedroom. That is a $161/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Des Moines County

Primary driver

The tax rate is a national headwind

Des Moines County's 1.51% effective rate is among the highest of 3,135 tracked counties: only about 90% pay more. Treat that recurring tax line separately from principal and interest.

Decision signal 2

Buying compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, Des Moines County ranks 14 of 99 Iowa counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 85 other Iowa counties on this measure.

Decision signal 3

Income supports the median purchase price

Median household income is $62,928, and the 2.2x home-price-to-income ratio leaves room for the ownership stack (property tax alone is 3.3% of median income). The monthly gap above is more about mortgage rate and insurance assumptions than about the purchase price being out of reach.

Decision signal 4

Owning clears the monthly bar here

Des Moines County's median home ($136,500) carries $2,058/yr in property tax at 1.51%. Under a 20% down, 6.5%, 30-year stack the all-in ownership bill is about $902/mo, which undercuts HUD's $1,063/mo 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent by roughly $161/mo before maintenance, HOA, or closing costs.

Decision signal 5

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Des Moines County from $1,072/mo in FY2025 to $1,063/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $9/mo (-0.8%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$902
Mortgage (P&I) $690
Property Tax $172
Insurance (est.) $40
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,063
Studio$733
1-Bedroom$810
2-Bedroom$1,063
3-Bedroom$1,369
4-Bedroom$1,426

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$62,928
$5,244/mo
Home Price / Income
2.2x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
3.3%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Even with the loan gone, the largest group of Des Moines County owners still owes $3,000 or more every year - a recurring holding cost of a few hundred dollars a month, which is why "paid off" understates the real cost of keeping property here.

Des Moines County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

Against that holding-cost profile, the monthly ownership stack already undercuts HUD rent here, so the long-run tax bill is an ownership feature more than a reason to keep renting.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Polk County
Home: $262,100 Tax: $4,396/yr
Linn County
Home: $214,300 Tax: $3,547/yr
Scott County
Home: $222,000 Tax: $3,273/yr
Johnson County
Home: $308,600 Tax: $4,681/yr
Black Hawk County
Home: $188,900 Tax: $2,842/yr
Dubuque County
Home: $237,300 Tax: $2,919/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Des Moines County, Iowa? ▼
On the standard 20%-down / 6.5% stack, owning the median Des Moines County home undercuts HUD's 2-bedroom rent by about $161/mo. Change the down payment, rate, or time horizon in the calculator and that gap can flip - owning also builds equity that rent never does.
What is the average rent in Des Moines County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,063/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $693/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How much house can you afford in Des Moines County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $62,928 household here can afford up to $188,784, which comfortably covers this county's $136,500 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
What is the median home price in Des Moines County? ▼
$136,500, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. What stands out more than the price itself is the tax load on it: this county's 1.51% effective rate sits near the high end of the 3,135 counties tracked here.
How does Des Moines County compare to other Iowa counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 99 Iowa counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Des Moines County lands at spot 14, putting it in the more buy-favorable quarter of the state. The <a href="/states/iowa">Iowa state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.
Is rent going up or down in Des Moines County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 0.8% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

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

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →