Rent Affordability for A Paramedic in Iowa
A typical paramedic in Iowa earns about $48,926 a year, which supports approximately $1,223 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. 17 of 35 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 18 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton, IA | $792/mo | 19.4% | very comfortable |
| Fort Dodge, IA | $843/mo | 20.7% | affordable |
| Waterloo, IA | $898/mo | 22% | affordable |
| Marshalltown, IA | $930/mo | 22.8% | affordable |
| Knoxville, IA | $941/mo | 23.1% | affordable |
| Boone, IA | $947/mo | 23.2% | affordable |
| Davenport, IA | $949/mo | 23.3% | affordable |
| Newton, IA | $962/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Burlington, IA | $983/mo | 24.1% | affordable |
| Adel, IA | $1,031/mo | 25.3% | affordable |
| Pella, IA | $1,085/mo | 26.6% | affordable |
| Dubuque, IA | $1,110/mo | 27.2% | affordable |
| Des Moines, IA | $1,121/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Ames, IA | $1,125/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Norwalk, IA | $1,189/mo | 29.2% | affordable |
| Urbandale, IA | $1,197/mo | 29.4% | affordable |
| Sioux City, IA | $1,216/mo | 29.8% | affordable |
| Cedar Falls, IA | $1,264/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Coralville, IA | $1,263/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Marion, IA | $1,278/mo | 31.3% | stretched |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,288/mo | 31.6% | stretched |
| Iowa City, IA | $1,308/mo | 32.1% | stretched |
| Bettendorf, IA | $1,327/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Pleasant Hill, IA | $1,346/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Council Bluffs, IA | $1,348/mo | 33.1% | stretched |
| West Des Moines, IA | $1,369/mo | 33.6% | stretched |
| Johnston, IA | $1,382/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Indianola, IA | $1,382/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Altoona, IA | $1,436/mo | 35.2% | stretched |
| Grimes, IA | $1,435/mo | 35.2% | stretched |
| Ankeny, IA | $1,520/mo | 37.3% | stretched |
| North Liberty, IA | $1,655/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Waukee, IA | $1,665/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| Tiffin, IA | $1,864/mo | 45.7% | rent-burdened |
| Le Claire, IA | $2,900/mo | 71.1% | severely rent-burdened |