Data / Rankings / Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) / Cities in Iowa

Cities in Iowa by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2024

Iowa City, IA had the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) of 41 cities in 2024, at 61.9%. Grimes, IA had the lowest, at 28%. The median was 44.7% and the figure for Iowa was 43.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest61.9Iowa City, IA
Lowest28Grimes, IA
Median44.741 cities
Iowa43.9History

All cities, 2024

Iowa City, IA: 61.9 %Iowa City, IA61.9Cedar Falls, IA: 57.4 %Cedar Falls, IA57.4Coralville, IA: 55.1 %Coralville, IA55.1Marion, IA: 54.5 %Marion, IA54.5Clinton, IA: 53.2 %Clinton, IA53.2Muscatine, IA: 51.6 %Muscatine, IA51.6Newton, IA: 51.5 %Newton, IA51.5Ames, IA: 50.2 %Ames, IA50.2Davenport, IA: 49.9 %Davenport, IA49.9Burlington, IA: 49.1 %Burlington, IA49.1Des Moines, IA: 48.8 %Des Moines, IA48.8Dubuque, IA: 48.6 %Dubuque, IA48.6Ottumwa, IA: 48.6 %Ottumwa, IA48.6Pleasant Hill, IA: 47.6 %Pleasant Hill, IA47.6Altoona, IA: 47.4 %Altoona, IA47.4Indianola, IA: 46.6 %Indianola, IA46.6Johnston, IA: 46.2 %Johnston, IA46.2Waterloo, IA: 45.4 %Waterloo, IA45.4Council Bluffs, IA: 45.3 %Council Bluffs, IA45.3Cedar Rapids, IA: 45.2 %Cedar Rapids, IA45.2Fort Dodge, IA: 44.7 %Fort Dodge, IA44.7Sioux City, IA: 43.1 %Sioux City, IA43.1West Des Moines, IA: 42.8 %West Des Moines, IA42.8Ankeny, IA: 42.4 %Ankeny, IA42.4Boone, IA: 42.4 %Boone, IA42.4Clive, IA: 41.5 %Clive, IA41.5Pella, IA: 40.2 %Pella, IA40.2Carroll, IA: 40.2 %Carroll, IA40.2Bettendorf, IA: 39.2 %Bettendorf, IA39.2Spencer, IA: 38.6 %Spencer, IA38.6Urbandale, IA: 38.6 %Urbandale, IA38.6Norwalk, IA: 38.2 %Norwalk, IA38.2North Liberty, IA: 37.7 %North Liberty, IA37.7Oskaloosa, IA: 37.3 %Oskaloosa, IA37.3Mason City, IA: 37.2 %Mason City, IA37.2Waverly, IA: 33.8 %Waverly, IA33.8Marshalltown, IA: 33.7 %Marshalltown, IA33.7Waukee, IA: 32.9 %Waukee, IA32.9Le Mars, IA: 32.6 %Le Mars, IA32.6Storm Lake, IA: 28.8 %Storm Lake, IA28.8Grimes, IA: 28 %Grimes, IA28Iowa City, IA: 61.9 %Iowa City, IA61.9Cedar Falls, IA: 57.4 %Cedar Falls, IA57.4Coralville, IA: 55.1 %Coralville, IA55.1Marion, IA: 54.5 %Marion, IA54.5Clinton, IA: 53.2 %Clinton, IA53.2Muscatine, IA: 51.6 %Muscatine, IA51.6Newton, IA: 51.5 %Newton, IA51.5Ames, IA: 50.2 %Ames, IA50.2Davenport, IA: 49.9 %Davenport, IA49.9Burlington, IA: 49.1 %Burlington, IA49.1Des Moines, IA: 48.8 %Des Moines, IA48.8Dubuque, IA: 48.6 %Dubuque, IA48.6Ottumwa, IA: 48.6 %Ottumwa, IA48.6Pleasant Hill, IA: 47.6 %Pleasant Hill, IA47.6Altoona, IA: 47.4 %Altoona, IA47.4Indianola, IA: 46.6 %Indianola, IA46.6Johnston, IA: 46.2 %Johnston, IA46.2Waterloo, IA: 45.4 %Waterloo, IA45.4Council Bluffs, IA: 45.3 %Council Bluffs, IA45.3Cedar Rapids, IA: 45.2 %Cedar Rapids, IA45.2Fort Dodge, IA: 44.7 %Fort Dodge, IA44.7Sioux City, IA: 43.1 %Sioux City, IA43.1West Des Moines, IA: 42.8 %West Des Moines, IA42.8Ankeny, IA: 42.4 %Ankeny, IA42.4Boone, IA: 42.4 %Boone, IA42.4Clive, IA: 41.5 %Clive, IA41.5Pella, IA: 40.2 %Pella, IA40.2Carroll, IA: 40.2 %Carroll, IA40.2Bettendorf, IA: 39.2 %Bettendorf, IA39.2Spencer, IA: 38.6 %Spencer, IA38.6Urbandale, IA: 38.6 %Urbandale, IA38.6Norwalk, IA: 38.2 %Norwalk, IA38.2North Liberty, IA: 37.7 %North Liberty, IA37.7Oskaloosa, IA: 37.3 %Oskaloosa, IA37.3Mason City, IA: 37.2 %Mason City, IA37.2Waverly, IA: 33.8 %Waverly, IA33.8Marshalltown, IA: 33.7 %Marshalltown, IA33.7Waukee, IA: 32.9 %Waukee, IA32.9Le Mars, IA: 32.6 %Le Mars, IA32.6Storm Lake, IA: 28.8 %Storm Lake, IA28.8Grimes, IA: 28 %Grimes, IA28
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Iowa City, IA61.9+0.3 pts
2Cedar Falls, IA57.4-0.8 pts
3Coralville, IA55.1-1.5 pts
4Marion, IA54.5+5.1 pts
5Clinton, IA53.2+1.7 pts
6Muscatine, IA51.6+7.7 pts
7Newton, IA51.5+2 pts
8Ames, IA50.2-2.8 pts
9Davenport, IA49.9-0.2 pts
10Burlington, IA49.1-8.2 pts
11Des Moines, IA48.8+2 pts
12Dubuque, IA48.6+1.5 pts
13Ottumwa, IA48.6+1.5 pts
14Pleasant Hill, IA47.6-1.1 pts
15Altoona, IA47.4+5.4 pts
16Indianola, IA46.6-0.2 pts
17Johnston, IA46.2-3 pts
18Waterloo, IA45.4+1.6 pts
19Council Bluffs, IA45.3-0.1 pts
20Cedar Rapids, IA45.2+0.4 pts
21Fort Dodge, IA44.7+3 pts
22Sioux City, IA43.1+1.6 pts
23West Des Moines, IA42.8+2.4 pts
24Ankeny, IA42.4+0.8 pts
24Boone, IA42.4+4.9 pts
26Clive, IA41.5+7 pts
27Pella, IA40.2-0.9 pts
28Carroll, IA40.2-7.5 pts
29Bettendorf, IA39.2-0.1 pts
30Spencer, IA38.6+1.6 pts
31Urbandale, IA38.6+3.2 pts
32Norwalk, IA38.2+4.2 pts
33North Liberty, IA37.7+2.1 pts
34Oskaloosa, IA37.3-2 pts
35Mason City, IA37.2+4.5 pts
36Waverly, IA33.8-2.7 pts
37Marshalltown, IA33.7-0.8 pts
38Waukee, IA32.9-3.4 pts
39Le Mars, IA32.6+0.8 pts
40Storm Lake, IA28.8-2.6 pts
41Grimes, IA28-0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Renter households whose gross rent (contract rent plus utilities and fuels the renter pays) was 30 percent or more of household income in the past 12 months, as a percentage of renter households for which that ratio can be computed. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Renters who pay no cash rent and households with no or negative income are left out of both the count and the base. 30 percent is the usual US threshold for rent burden. The EU housing cost overburden rate (housing_cost_overburden_rate) uses 40 percent of disposable income, all housing costs and people instead of households, so the two cannot be compared.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Iowa by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25070.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Iowa by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25070.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/iowa-cities. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Iowa by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25070.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/iowa-cities.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Iowa by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25070.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/iowa-cities (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_iowa_by_2024,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Iowa by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25070.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/iowa-cities. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Iowa by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25070.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/iowa-cities
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/iowa-cities.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in Iowa by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Iowa City, IA, with 61.9% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Grimes, IA, with 28% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income): other rankings

Cities in Iowa: more rankings