Rent Affordability for A Waiter or Waitress in Iowa
A typical waiter or waitress in Iowa earns about $33,608 a year, which supports approximately $840 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. 1 of 35 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 34 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton, IA | $792/mo | 28.3% | affordable |
| Fort Dodge, IA | $843/mo | 30.1% | stretched |
| Waterloo, IA | $898/mo | 32.1% | stretched |
| Marshalltown, IA | $930/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Knoxville, IA | $941/mo | 33.6% | stretched |
| Boone, IA | $947/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Davenport, IA | $949/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Newton, IA | $962/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Burlington, IA | $983/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Adel, IA | $1,031/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Pella, IA | $1,085/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| Dubuque, IA | $1,110/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Des Moines, IA | $1,121/mo | 40% | rent-burdened |
| Ames, IA | $1,125/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Norwalk, IA | $1,189/mo | 42.5% | rent-burdened |
| Urbandale, IA | $1,197/mo | 42.7% | rent-burdened |
| Sioux City, IA | $1,216/mo | 43.4% | rent-burdened |
| Cedar Falls, IA | $1,264/mo | 45.1% | rent-burdened |
| Coralville, IA | $1,263/mo | 45.1% | rent-burdened |
| Marion, IA | $1,278/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,288/mo | 46% | rent-burdened |
| Iowa City, IA | $1,308/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Bettendorf, IA | $1,327/mo | 47.4% | rent-burdened |
| Council Bluffs, IA | $1,348/mo | 48.1% | rent-burdened |
| Pleasant Hill, IA | $1,346/mo | 48.1% | rent-burdened |
| West Des Moines, IA | $1,369/mo | 48.9% | rent-burdened |
| Johnston, IA | $1,382/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| Indianola, IA | $1,382/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| Grimes, IA | $1,435/mo | 51.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Altoona, IA | $1,436/mo | 51.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Ankeny, IA | $1,520/mo | 54.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| North Liberty, IA | $1,655/mo | 59.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Waukee, IA | $1,665/mo | 59.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Tiffin, IA | $1,864/mo | 66.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Le Claire, IA | $2,900/mo | 103.5% | severely rent-burdened |