Insights / Des Moines

Firm
Cooling
Condition and direction
Des Moines, IA · recomputed daily
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Des Moines, IA Multifamily Market Read | September 2026

Des Moines reads Firm and Cooling, so landlords have the edge. Asking rents are firming, up 1.7% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026). This brief lays out what the current data shows for Des Moines, grouped by how often each source updates.

Updated September 20, 2026

Asking rent YoY · monthly
+1.7%
Vacancy · 2024
6.7%
Jobs YoY · monthly
-0.5%

What is moving now (monthly)

Asking rents are firming, up 1.7% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026). Jobs are softening, down 0.5% over the past year (BLS, monthly, latest Aug 2026).

The backdrop (yearly, US Census Bureau)

Vacancy was 6.7%, in a middling range, in the 2024 count (US Census Bureau). This is a yearly snapshot, not a monthly signal. New permitting was heavy, +119.1% in the 2025 count (US Census Bureau, building permits). A standing yearly figure, not a live signal. Net migration was positive at +3.7 per 1,000 residents in the 2025 count (US Census Bureau).

Rent context

The metro median rent, including utilities, was about $1,178 a month in the 2024 count (US Census Bureau).

What the data shows

Taken together, Des Moines is Firm and cooling: landlords have the edge. The monthly movers, asking rent and jobs, are the live part of the picture, while vacancy, permitting, and migration are yearly snapshots that set the backdrop. MetroSgnl reads the market from public data and shows every figure with its source and cadence. This is market information, not investment advice, and not a recommendation about any property.

Common questions about Des Moines · answered from the data, updated September 20, 2026

Is the Des Moines rental market tight or soft right now?

Des Moines reads Firm right now, so landlords have the edge.

Which way is the Des Moines market heading?

Des Moines is cooling right now, as asking rents firm over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly).

Is Des Moines a landlord's or a renter's market?

Des Moines is a landlord's market right now, because it reads Firm.

What is the vacancy rate in Des Moines?

Vacancy in Des Moines is 6.7% in the Jan 2024 count, a yearly snapshot rather than a live monthly signal (US Census Bureau).

How much have Des Moines rents changed?

Asking rents in Des Moines are up 1.7% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026).

Recent coverage

Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.

Across Iowa, historic buildings gain new life as affordable housingThe Des Moines Register
Merle Hay Plaza and Apartments Wins Iowa Housing Innovation Competition, Bringing Affordable Senior Housing to Underutilized Mall SpaceRiver Cities' Reader
Rob Sand Tours Affordable Housing Development, Highlights “Affordability for All” PlanRob Sand for Iowa
Rob Sand says Iowa needs to ‘reduce red tape’ to meet housing needsIowa Capital Dispatch
2026 HousingIowa Conference set for Sept. 9-10 in Des MoinesQuad Cities Business Journal
Vacant hotels set to become large-scale supportive housing campuses in Des Moines metroIowa Public Radio
See all Des Moines news →

Data: Zillow ZORI, BLS, US Census Bureau, FRED, and the MetroSgnl news feed. Recomputed daily. Market information only, not investment advice.

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