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. 3 of 35 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 32 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone, IA | $770/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Clinton, IA | $775/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Fort Dodge, IA | $820/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Waterloo, IA | $948/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Knoxville, IA | $950/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Davenport, IA | $960/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Marshalltown, IA | $978/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Burlington, IA | $991/mo | 35.4% | stretched |
| Newton, IA | $992/mo | 35.4% | stretched |
| Dubuque, IA | $1,094/mo | 39.1% | stretched |
| Adel, IA | $1,094/mo | 39.1% | stretched |
| Des Moines, IA | $1,131/mo | 40.4% | rent-burdened |
| Pella, IA | $1,135/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| Ames, IA | $1,153/mo | 41.2% | rent-burdened |
| Urbandale, IA | $1,203/mo | 43% | rent-burdened |
| Coralville, IA | $1,235/mo | 44.1% | rent-burdened |
| Norwalk, IA | $1,237/mo | 44.2% | rent-burdened |
| Cedar Falls, IA | $1,251/mo | 44.7% | rent-burdened |
| Sioux City, IA | $1,254/mo | 44.8% | rent-burdened |
| Iowa City, IA | $1,271/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Indianola, IA | $1,282/mo | 45.8% | rent-burdened |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,307/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Marion, IA | $1,315/mo | 47% | rent-burdened |
| Pleasant Hill, IA | $1,325/mo | 47.3% | rent-burdened |
| Council Bluffs, IA | $1,342/mo | 47.9% | rent-burdened |
| West Des Moines, IA | $1,353/mo | 48.3% | rent-burdened |
| Grimes, IA | $1,367/mo | 48.8% | rent-burdened |
| Bettendorf, IA | $1,386/mo | 49.5% | rent-burdened |
| Johnston, IA | $1,432/mo | 51.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Altoona, IA | $1,475/mo | 52.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Ankeny, IA | $1,533/mo | 54.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Waukee, IA | $1,601/mo | 57.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| North Liberty, IA | $1,692/mo | 60.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Tiffin, IA | $1,864/mo | 66.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Le Claire, IA | $2,900/mo | 103.5% | severely rent-burdened |