Can A Truck Driver Afford Rent in Cedar Rapids, IA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29.6% of gross income.

Cedar Rapids rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Iowa state estimate).

Cedar Rapids median rent
$1,288/mo
Truck Driver salary (Iowa)
$52,173/yr
Rent as % of income
29.6%
Gross monthly income works out to about $4,348, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,304/mo in rent. Cedar Rapids's median rent of $1,288 leaves roughly $16/mo of headroom under that threshold. A truck driver works roughly 51.3 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and a truck driver salary

Truck driver pay covers comfortable rent in most lower- and mid-cost US metros and stretches thin in the highest-cost ones. Because many drivers can base anywhere along their route, the home-city rent decision has an outsized effect on take-home. At the national-average driver salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,418 a month in rent. The per-city pages show which markets keep rent within that range and which push it out of reach.

Cheaper rent nearby

These Iowa cities have lower median rent than Cedar Rapids, which improves the affordability math on a truck driver salary:

Norwalk, IA
$1,282/mo (29.5% of income)
Bettendorf, IA
$1,280/mo (29.4% of income)
Bettendorf, IA
$1,279/mo (29.4% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Cedar Rapids

View full rent data for Cedar Rapids, IA

Frequently asked questions

Can a truck driver afford rent in Cedar Rapids, IA?

Median rent in Cedar Rapids is $1,288 a month. A typical truck driver in Iowa earns about $52,173 a year, which makes that rent 29.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a truck driver afford in Cedar Rapids?

Using the 30% rule, a truck driver salary in Iowa (~$52,173/yr) supports up to $1,304 a month in rent. Cedar Rapids's current median rent is $1,288/mo, which leaves a $16/mo buffer.

How many hours does a truck driver work to cover rent in Cedar Rapids?

At an hourly equivalent of about $25 an hour, a truck driver in Iowa works roughly 51.3 hours a month to cover Cedar Rapids's median rent of $1,288.

Where is rent cheaper than Cedar Rapids for a truck driver?

Nearby Iowa cities with lower median rent include Norwalk ($1,282/mo), Bettendorf ($1,280/mo), Bettendorf ($1,279/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a truck driver salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Iowa state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Cedar Rapids, IA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.