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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 2 cities in Iowa using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Des Moines comes ou…
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 2 cities in Iowa using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Des Moines comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
The numbers for Des Moines are straightforward: 88 on the cost index, $1,141/month rent, $63,966 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. It lines up with what you'd expect.
Look, What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And more often than not, the difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
#1 Ranked: Des Moines — cost index 88, rent $1,141/mo, income $63,966
0 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K
0 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines | $1,141 | 46% | 88 | Details |
| 2 | Cedar Rapids | $1,158 | 46% | 88 | Details |
210,381 residents · Iowa
Let's be clear: the numbers for Des Moines are straightforward: 88 on the cost index, $1,141/month rent, $63,966 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. Pretty standard for this type of city.
135,958 residents · Iowa
What does daily life actually cost in Cedar Rapids? Start with the 20% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 70) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 90) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $67,859 and homes at $204,214 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Des Moines | 5.7% | 6.94% | 1.43% | $22,627 |
2Cedar Rapids | 5.7% | 6.94% | 1.43% | $22,627 |
Des Moines ranks #1 in Iowa for this analysis with a cost index of 88 and median income of $63,966.
Yes. On a $30K salary in Des Moines, rent would consume about 46% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Des Moines (ranked #1) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,141/mo, while Cedar Rapids (ranked #2) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,158/mo — a 0-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Des Moines is $1,141/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $754 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 5.7% state income tax, estimated take-home on $30K in Des Moines is approximately $22,627/year ($1,886/month). After median rent of $1,141/month, you'd have roughly $8,935/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Des Moines is $204,843, which is 3.2× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Iowa has a 5.7% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.94%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.43%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.