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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton, IA | $792/mo | 10.9% | very comfortable |
| Fort Dodge, IA | $843/mo | 11.6% | very comfortable |
| Waterloo, IA | $898/mo | 12.4% | very comfortable |
| Marshalltown, IA | $930/mo | 12.8% | very comfortable |
| Knoxville, IA | $941/mo | 13% | very comfortable |
| Davenport, IA | $949/mo | 13.1% | very comfortable |
| Boone, IA | $947/mo | 13.1% | very comfortable |
| Newton, IA | $962/mo | 13.3% | very comfortable |
| Burlington, IA | $983/mo | 13.6% | very comfortable |
| Adel, IA | $1,031/mo | 14.2% | very comfortable |
| Pella, IA | $1,085/mo | 15% | very comfortable |
| Dubuque, IA | $1,110/mo | 15.3% | very comfortable |
| Des Moines, IA | $1,121/mo | 15.5% | very comfortable |
| Ames, IA | $1,125/mo | 15.5% | very comfortable |
| Norwalk, IA | $1,189/mo | 16.4% | very comfortable |
| Urbandale, IA | $1,197/mo | 16.5% | very comfortable |
| Sioux City, IA | $1,216/mo | 16.8% | very comfortable |
| Coralville, IA | $1,263/mo | 17.4% | very comfortable |
| Cedar Falls, IA | $1,264/mo | 17.5% | very comfortable |
| Marion, IA | $1,278/mo | 17.6% | very comfortable |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,288/mo | 17.8% | very comfortable |
| Iowa City, IA | $1,308/mo | 18.1% | very comfortable |
| Bettendorf, IA | $1,327/mo | 18.3% | very comfortable |
| Council Bluffs, IA | $1,348/mo | 18.6% | very comfortable |
| Pleasant Hill, IA | $1,346/mo | 18.6% | very comfortable |
| West Des Moines, IA | $1,369/mo | 18.9% | very comfortable |
| Johnston, IA | $1,382/mo | 19.1% | very comfortable |
| Indianola, IA | $1,382/mo | 19.1% | very comfortable |
| Altoona, IA | $1,436/mo | 19.8% | very comfortable |
| Grimes, IA | $1,435/mo | 19.8% | very comfortable |
| Ankeny, IA | $1,520/mo | 21% | affordable |
| North Liberty, IA | $1,655/mo | 22.8% | affordable |
| Waukee, IA | $1,665/mo | 23% | affordable |
| Tiffin, IA | $1,864/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| Le Claire, IA | $2,900/mo | 40% | rent-burdened |