Rent Affordability for A Bus Driver in Iowa
A typical bus driver in Iowa earns about $47,674 a year, which supports approximately $1,192 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Iowa city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.
As of May 2026. 14 of 35 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 21 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone, IA | $770/mo | 19.4% | very comfortable |
| Clinton, IA | $775/mo | 19.5% | very comfortable |
| Fort Dodge, IA | $820/mo | 20.6% | affordable |
| Waterloo, IA | $948/mo | 23.9% | affordable |
| Knoxville, IA | $950/mo | 23.9% | affordable |
| Davenport, IA | $960/mo | 24.2% | affordable |
| Marshalltown, IA | $978/mo | 24.6% | affordable |
| Burlington, IA | $991/mo | 24.9% | affordable |
| Newton, IA | $992/mo | 25% | affordable |
| Dubuque, IA | $1,094/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Adel, IA | $1,094/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Des Moines, IA | $1,131/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Pella, IA | $1,135/mo | 28.6% | affordable |
| Ames, IA | $1,153/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Urbandale, IA | $1,203/mo | 30.3% | stretched |
| Coralville, IA | $1,235/mo | 31.1% | stretched |
| Norwalk, IA | $1,237/mo | 31.1% | stretched |
| Cedar Falls, IA | $1,251/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Sioux City, IA | $1,254/mo | 31.6% | stretched |
| Iowa City, IA | $1,271/mo | 32% | stretched |
| Indianola, IA | $1,282/mo | 32.3% | stretched |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,307/mo | 32.9% | stretched |
| Marion, IA | $1,315/mo | 33.1% | stretched |
| Pleasant Hill, IA | $1,325/mo | 33.4% | stretched |
| Council Bluffs, IA | $1,342/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| West Des Moines, IA | $1,353/mo | 34.1% | stretched |
| Grimes, IA | $1,367/mo | 34.4% | stretched |
| Bettendorf, IA | $1,386/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Johnston, IA | $1,432/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Altoona, IA | $1,475/mo | 37.1% | stretched |
| Ankeny, IA | $1,533/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Waukee, IA | $1,601/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| North Liberty, IA | $1,692/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Tiffin, IA | $1,864/mo | 46.9% | rent-burdened |
| Le Claire, IA | $2,900/mo | 73% | severely rent-burdened |