Des Moines multifamily market, October 2026

Landlords have the edge in Des Moines, and it is cooling: asking rents are up 2.0% on a year, while jobs were flat.

Updated October 31, 2026 · from Zillow, BLS and the US Census Bureau

+2.0%

Asking rent, year over year

Zillow · September 2026

0.0%

Jobs, year over year

BLS · September 2026, preliminary

6.7%YEARLY

Vacancy

Census · 2024 count

What is moving now

Asking rents are up 2.0% on a year to September 2026, which is the figure the condition is read from. Jobs are up 0.0% over the same year to September 2026, a first release the BLS revises the following month. Job growth has cooled (September 2026).

The backdrop

These are yearly Census counts, not this month's: 6.7% of rentals sat empty in 2024, permits for new apartments were up 119% in 2025, more people moved in than out in 2025, and the typical rent was $1,178 a month in 2024. They are the background the monthly figures move against, and they are the newest the Census has published.

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Common questions about Des Moines

Answered from the data, updated October 31, 2026

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

In Des Moines right now, landlords have the edge, and it is cooling.

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: landlords have the edge, and it is cooling.

What is the vacancy rate in Des Moines?

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

How much have Des Moines rents changed?

Asking rents in Des Moines are up 2.0% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Sep 2026).

Recent coverage

Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.

Rob Sand Highlights Plans to Lower Housing Costs and Strengthen Rural Iowa on “Iowa for All” TourRob Sand for Iowa

$6.4 million awarded to expand affordable housing in Des Moines, DubuqueKCCI

Iowa Finance Authority Awards More Than $6.4 Million to Expand Housing and Support Services for Iowans Experiencing or at Risk of HomelessnessRiver Cities' Reader

Merle Hay Tower housing project wins $14 million innovation awardThe Des Moines Register

Merle Hay Tower project clears key housing hurdleAxios

Across Iowa, historic buildings gain new life as affordable housingThe Des Moines Register

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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