Rental numbers for Polk County, IA
The typical home here runs -$1,185 a month at 7.78% with 25% down. 0 of 23 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 5.1%.
- Gross yield
- 5.3%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 5.1%
- 23 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$1,185/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $281,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,248/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in Polk County
32 with published figures
| 50316Des Moines | $165,000 | $1,261 | 9.2% | 4.4% | -$289 | n/a |
| 50317Des Moines | $193,000 | $1,245 | 7.7% | 3.2% | -$522 | +2.3% |
| 50314Des Moines | $163,000 | $1,016 | 7.5% | 3.1% | -$459 | +0.6% |
| 50313Des Moines | $187,000 | $1,158 | 7.4% | 2.9% | -$549 | n/a |
| 50243Sheldahl | $230,000 | $1,280* | 6.7% | 2.6% | -$735 | n/a |
| 50315Des Moines | $198,000 | $1,067 | 6.5% | 2.0% | -$737 | +2.7% |
| 50309Des Moines | $242,000 | $1,238 | 6.1% | 2.5% | -$807 | +0.8% |
| 50324Windsor Heights | $286,000 | $1,400 | 5.9% | 1.8% | -$1,112 | n/a |
| 50009Altoona | $320,000 | $1,560 | 5.9% | 2.0% | -$1,182 | n/a |
| 50021Ankeny | $318,000 | $1,535 | 5.8% | 1.9% | -$1,209 | +1.3% |
| 50320Des Moines | $265,000 | $1,234 | 5.6% | 1.5% | -$1,094 | n/a |
| 50323Urbandale | $457,000 | $2,075 | 5.5% | 1.9% | -$1,749 | n/a |
| 50073Elkhart | $326,000 | $1,410* | 5.2% | 1.6% | -$1,337 | n/a |
| 50327Pleasant Hill | $319,000 | $1,366 | 5.1% | 1.4% | -$1,334 | n/a |
| 50023Ankeny | $355,000 | $1,502 | 5.1% | 1.3% | -$1,525 | +1.8% |
| 50325Clive | $434,000 | $1,798 | 5.0% | 1.5% | -$1,797 | n/a |
| 50311Des Moines | $231,000 | $950 | 4.9% | 0.8% | -$1,100 | +2.2% |
| 50265West Des Moines | $311,000 | $1,274 | 4.9% | 1.2% | -$1,369 | +1.8% |
| 50035Bondurant | $329,000 | $1,340* | 4.9% | 1.2% | -$1,457 | n/a |
| 50310Des Moines | $234,000 | $935 | 4.8% | 0.6% | -$1,146 | -3.4% |
| 50312Des Moines | $297,000 | $1,171 | 4.7% | 0.6% | -$1,446 | +1.7% |
| 50111Grimes | $346,000 | $1,310 | 4.5% | 0.8% | -$1,652 | +2.5% |
| 50226Polk City | $428,000 | $1,616 | 4.5% | 1.0% | -$1,951 | n/a |
| 50322Urbandale | $292,000 | $1,061 | 4.3% | 0.6% | -$1,436 | +2.7% |
| 50131Johnston | $401,000 | $1,444 | 4.3% | 0.6% | -$1,959 | +4.1% |
| 50169Mitchellville | $283,000 | $960* | 4.1% | 0.5% | -$1,416 | n/a |
| 50244Slater | $301,000 | $980* | 3.9% | 0.3% | -$1,536 | n/a |
| 50109Granger | $382,000 | $1,220* | 3.8% | 0.3% | -$1,947 | n/a |
| 50007Alleman | $400,000 | $1,240* | 3.7% | 0.1% | -$2,128 | n/a |
| 50321Des Moines | $358,000 | $1,083 | 3.6% | -0.1% | -$1,952 | n/a |
| 50161Maxwell | $335,000 | $980* | 3.5% | 0.4% | -$1,705 | n/a |
| 50237Runnells | $439,000 | $920* | 2.5% | -0.4% | -$2,517 | n/a |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- +0.3%
- Rent, 12 months
- +1.6%
- Rent minus price growth
- +1.2 pts
- Property tax
- 1.68%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $234,887 | $1,067 |
| Aug 2022 | $257,282 | $1,156 |
| Aug 2023 | $266,357 | $1,184 |
| Aug 2024 | $275,184 | $1,218 |
| Aug 2025 | $280,070 | $1,229 |
| Aug 2026 | $281,007 | $1,248 |
HUD Fair Market Rent
FY2027, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area
| Bedrooms | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Market Rent | $1,102 | $1,145 | $1,360 | $1,856 | $1,901 |
The 40th percentile gross rent for a standard unit, set by HUD each October and used for Section 8 payment standards. It runs below market rent; Zillow's index is shown above where it exists.
Supply
- Permits per 1,000 households
- 17.2
- 3,528 units, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 87th
- among US counties
Tools
Test a listing in Polk County against today's rate.
Open the calculatorPart of the Des Moines, IA metro.
Questions
- Is Polk County good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$1,185 a month at 7.78% with 25% down. 0 of 23 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 5.1%. The figures use a typical home, 7.78% with 25% down and default costs shown on each ZIP page. They describe the market, not any one property.
- What is the property tax rate in Polk County?
- About 1.68% of value, from Census ACS median taxes paid over median home value. On a $281,000 home that is about $4,712 a year.
- What is Fair Market Rent in Polk County?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent here is $1,145 for a 1-bedroom, $1,360 for a 2-bedroom and $1,856 for a 3-bedroom. Typical cash flow at today's rate is -$1,185 a month.
Sources and method
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), mid tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical home value by ZIP, county, metro and state, and the price trend.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical market rent by ZIP, county and metro, and the rent trend (tier A pages).
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2026.
Rent by bedroom count for every ZIP. The rent used on tier B pages, and a reference on all pages. It is the 40th percentile gross rent, so it runs below market.
- HUD Fair Market Rents by county, FY2027
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2027.
County rent by bedroom count on county pages.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (B25103 median real estate taxes paid, B25077 median home value, B11001 households)
US Census Bureau. Read: 2020 to 2024.
Effective property tax rate (median taxes paid divided by median value) by ZIP code tabulation area, county and state; households for the permits ratio.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed (FRED series MORTGAGE30US)
Freddie Mac via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Read: 2026-09-24.
The weekly 30-year rate. The site adds a disclosed investor premium to it for the loan payment.
- Building Permits Survey, county monthly files
US Census Bureau. Read: 2025-09 to 2026-08.
New housing units permitted in the last 12 months per 1,000 households, a supply-pressure signal.
Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.
Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.