HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Des Moines County, Iowa (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Des Moines County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,063 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Des Moines keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,063
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$957 to $1,169
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,520
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
19th of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Des Moines moves to $1,104. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Des Moines actually rent for?
Search any address in Des Moines for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $733 | $660 to $806 | $29,320 | $14.10/hr | -0.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $810 | $729 to $891 | $32,400 | $15.58/hr | -0.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,063 | $957 to $1,169 | $42,520 | $20.44/hr | -0.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,369 | $1,232 to $1,506 | $54,760 | $26.33/hr | +3.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,426 | $1,283 to $1,569 | $57,040 | $27.42/hr | +0.4% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $1,640 | $1,476 to $1,804 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,854 | $1,669 to $2,039 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,068 | $1,861 to $2,275 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,282 | $2,054 to $2,510 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Des Moines, that runs from $733 for a studio up to $1,426 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Des Moines sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Burlington included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Des Moines ranks 19th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 16% above the state median of $919 and about 4% above the national median county at $1,018. About 38,824 people live here, 16th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 52637 (Mediapolis) and $1,380 in 52650 (Sperry), with the 7 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Des Moines somewhere between $957 and $1,169. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,063 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,520 a year. Put another way, $20 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($957) | HAP at 100% ($1,063) | HAP at 110% ($1,169) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $207 | $313 | $419 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($1,072) to FY 2026 ($1,063). Since FY 2020 it's up 31% in total, about 4.6% a year. The Iowa median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $528 | $615 | $810 | $1,058 | $1,322 | — |
| FY 2021 | $567 | $653 | $860 | $1,085 | $1,361 | +6.2% |
| FY 2022 | $581 | $664 | $874 | $1,089 | $1,304 | +1.6% |
| FY 2023 | $642 | $729 | $960 | $1,176 | $1,290 | +9.8% |
| FY 2024 | $697 | $783 | $1,029 | $1,267 | $1,370 | +7.2% |
| FY 2025 | $735 | $817 | $1,072 | $1,324 | $1,421 | +4.2% |
| FY 2026 | $733 | $810 | $1,063 | $1,369 | $1,426 | -0.8% |
| FY 2027 | $769 | $844 | $1,104 | $1,444 | $1,533 | +3.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,063 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $733 for a studio, $810 for one bedroom, $1,369 for three and $1,426 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Des Moines actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Des Moines for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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