Rent Affordability for A Registered Nurse in Iowa
A typical registered nurse in Iowa earns about $86,922 a year, which supports approximately $2,173 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. 34 of 35 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 1 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone, IA | $770/mo | 10.6% | very comfortable |
| Clinton, IA | $775/mo | 10.7% | very comfortable |
| Fort Dodge, IA | $820/mo | 11.3% | very comfortable |
| Waterloo, IA | $948/mo | 13.1% | very comfortable |
| Knoxville, IA | $950/mo | 13.1% | very comfortable |
| Davenport, IA | $960/mo | 13.3% | very comfortable |
| Marshalltown, IA | $978/mo | 13.5% | very comfortable |
| Burlington, IA | $991/mo | 13.7% | very comfortable |
| Newton, IA | $992/mo | 13.7% | very comfortable |
| Dubuque, IA | $1,094/mo | 15.1% | very comfortable |
| Adel, IA | $1,094/mo | 15.1% | very comfortable |
| Des Moines, IA | $1,131/mo | 15.6% | very comfortable |
| Pella, IA | $1,135/mo | 15.7% | very comfortable |
| Ames, IA | $1,153/mo | 15.9% | very comfortable |
| Urbandale, IA | $1,203/mo | 16.6% | very comfortable |
| Coralville, IA | $1,235/mo | 17% | very comfortable |
| Norwalk, IA | $1,237/mo | 17.1% | very comfortable |
| Sioux City, IA | $1,254/mo | 17.3% | very comfortable |
| Cedar Falls, IA | $1,251/mo | 17.3% | very comfortable |
| Iowa City, IA | $1,271/mo | 17.5% | very comfortable |
| Indianola, IA | $1,282/mo | 17.7% | very comfortable |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,307/mo | 18% | very comfortable |
| Marion, IA | $1,315/mo | 18.2% | very comfortable |
| Pleasant Hill, IA | $1,325/mo | 18.3% | very comfortable |
| Council Bluffs, IA | $1,342/mo | 18.5% | very comfortable |
| West Des Moines, IA | $1,353/mo | 18.7% | very comfortable |
| Grimes, IA | $1,367/mo | 18.9% | very comfortable |
| Bettendorf, IA | $1,386/mo | 19.1% | very comfortable |
| Johnston, IA | $1,432/mo | 19.8% | very comfortable |
| Altoona, IA | $1,475/mo | 20.4% | affordable |
| Ankeny, IA | $1,533/mo | 21.2% | affordable |
| Waukee, IA | $1,601/mo | 22.1% | affordable |
| North Liberty, IA | $1,692/mo | 23.4% | affordable |
| Tiffin, IA | $1,864/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| Le Claire, IA | $2,900/mo | 40% | rent-burdened |