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Cost & Benefits

Cost of living in Des Moines, Iowa

Simple answer

Typical rent is $1,090 a month.

Des Moines is a city in Iowa. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $65,932 a year.

Is Des Moines affordable?See benefits in Des Moines
People
212,421
Census average, 2020–2024
Typical rent
$1,090
Median gross rent, includes utilities
Typical pay
$65,932
Median household income, yearly
Typical home
$194,700
Median home value
2-bedroom fair rent
$1,360
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area

Des Moines, Iowa has about 212,421 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $194,700.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Polk County is $1,360 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Des Moines. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, prices sit at 91.7 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Iowa taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 6.9% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Des Moines's exact store tax.

Some places in Iowa add a local wage tax. In 2023 the state average was about 0.08% of income. That is not a Des Moines bill.

In July 2026, a typical Iowa home paid 15.99¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Des Moines's bill.

EIA did not publish a 2025 all-grades gas price for Iowa in the table we use.

Among 264 places we list in Iowa with a rent figure, 33 have higher typical rent than Des Moines.

Nearby places

EBT nearby

USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.

Find SNAP stores near Des MoinesWhat EBT can buy in Iowa

Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.

Food stamps (SNAP) tools in Iowa

Bigger places in Iowa

Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.