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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 59 largest places in Iowa, Clive has the lowest share of income going to rent (9.7%), followed by Norwalk and Eldridge. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 59 places in Iowa that we cover, the median is 16.1% and the average 16.1%; the figure runs from 9.7% (Clive) to 22.4% (Iowa City). That is a spread of 2.3 times between the two ends.
The first five are Clive, Norwalk, Eldridge, Bondurant, Clear Lake. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: read it together with the other measures on the city pages. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Yearly rent as share of income ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clive | Polk County | 9.7% | 19,012 | $132,121 | $1,073 |
| 2 | Norwalk | Warren County | 9.8% | 14,183 | $102,722 | $838 |
| 3 | Eldridge | Scott County | 10.7% | 6,818 | $106,316 | $945 |
| 4 | Bondurant | Polk County | 11.8% | 8,560 | $135,674 | $1,337 |
| 5 | Clear Lake | Cerro Gordo County | 12.2% | 7,607 | $79,415 | $808 |
| 6 | Carroll | Carroll County | 12.4% | 10,208 | $69,706 | $722 |
| 7 | Grimes | Polk County | 12.5% | 16,366 | $120,037 | $1,251 |
| 8 | Urbandale | Polk County | 12.9% | 46,595 | $112,795 | $1,211 |
| 9 | Marion | Linn County | 13.3% | 41,896 | $86,743 | $961 |
| 10 | Denison | Crawford County | 13.4% | 8,260 | $65,684 | $731 |
| 11 | Bettendorf | Scott County | 14.2% | 39,647 | $100,495 | $1,187 |
| 12 | Boone | Boone County | 14.4% | 12,424 | $69,222 | $831 |
| 13 | Ankeny | Polk County | 14.6% | 72,615 | $108,198 | $1,319 |
| 14 | North Liberty | Johnson County | 14.6% | 21,125 | $102,102 | $1,246 |
| 15 | Charles City | Floyd County | 14.9% | 7,232 | $59,180 | $735 |
| 16 | Pella | Marion County | 14.9% | 10,720 | $84,111 | $1,046 |
| 17 | Le Mars | Plymouth County | 14.9% | 10,640 | $74,701 | $929 |
| 18 | Johnston | Polk County | 15.1% | 24,384 | $106,551 | $1,338 |
| 19 | Nevada | Story County | 15.2% | 6,983 | $75,094 | $953 |
| 20 | Marshalltown | Marshall County | 15.5% | 27,626 | $69,068 | $891 |
| 21 | Hiawatha | Linn County | 15.5% | 7,206 | $66,270 | $855 |
| 22 | Fort Dodge | Webster County | 15.5% | 24,827 | $60,649 | $785 |
| 23 | Oskaloosa | Mahaska County | 15.6% | 11,504 | $64,004 | $831 |
| 24 | Knoxville | Marion County | 15.6% | 7,473 | $61,599 | $801 |
| 25 | Indianola | Warren County | 15.7% | 16,044 | $75,453 | $986 |
| 26 | Clinton | Clinton County | 15.8% | 24,322 | $60,230 | $791 |
| 27 | Waverly | Bremer County | 15.8% | 10,494 | $80,284 | $1,057 |
| 28 | Decorah | Winneshiek County | 15.9% | 7,535 | $64,366 | $853 |
| 29 | Creston | Union County | 16.0% | 7,435 | $52,633 | $703 |
| 30 | Pleasant Hill | Polk County | 16.1% | 11,136 | $90,508 | $1,215 |
| 31 | Spencer | Clay County | 16.2% | 11,400 | $59,667 | $805 |
| 32 | Perry | Dallas County | 16.2% | 7,985 | $68,910 | $931 |
| 33 | Mount Pleasant | Henry County | 16.2% | 8,951 | $61,042 | $826 |
| 34 | Mason City | Cerro Gordo County | 16.3% | 27,050 | $64,804 | $882 |
| 35 | Waukee | Dallas County | 16.4% | 29,236 | $101,029 | $1,383 |
| 36 | Grinnell | Poweshiek County | 16.4% | 9,505 | $65,320 | $895 |
| 37 | Cedar Rapids | Linn County | 16.5% | 137,264 | $70,424 | $967 |
| 38 | Sioux City | Woodbury County | 17.0% | 86,101 | $68,906 | $976 |
| 39 | Newton | Jasper County | 17.0% | 15,700 | $57,771 | $819 |
| 40 | West Des Moines | Polk County | 17.1% | 71,083 | $86,594 | $1,237 |
| 41 | Webster City | Hamilton County | 17.2% | 7,769 | $63,430 | $907 |
| 42 | Storm Lake | Buena Vista County | 17.2% | 11,428 | $62,765 | $898 |
| 43 | Altoona | Polk County | 17.2% | 21,495 | $86,114 | $1,235 |
| 44 | Dubuque | Dubuque County | 17.3% | 59,174 | $65,845 | $948 |
| 45 | Davenport | Scott County | 17.7% | 100,913 | $66,200 | $978 |
| 46 | Ottumwa | Wapello County | 18.1% | 25,430 | $61,103 | $921 |
| 47 | Coralville | Johnson County | 18.3% | 23,234 | $69,144 | $1,057 |
| 48 | Cedar Falls | Black Hawk County | 18.8% | 40,888 | $76,987 | $1,203 |
| 49 | Burlington | Des Moines County | 18.8% | 23,728 | $59,000 | $924 |
| 50 | Council Bluffs | Pottawattamie County | 19.1% | 62,586 | $64,578 | $1,030 |
| 51 | Waterloo | Black Hawk County | 19.3% | 67,008 | $57,480 | $923 |
| 52 | Fort Madison | Lee County | 19.5% | 10,133 | $50,705 | $826 |
| 53 | Keokuk | Lee County | 19.8% | 9,662 | $52,711 | $871 |
| 54 | Des Moines | Polk County | 19.8% | 212,421 | $65,932 | $1,090 |
| 55 | Muscatine | Muscatine County | 20.1% | 23,489 | $58,117 | $974 |
| 56 | Ames | Story County | 20.1% | 67,669 | $60,991 | $1,023 |
| 57 | Fairfield | Jefferson County | 20.3% | 9,456 | $51,311 | $870 |
| 58 | Washington | Washington County | 21.0% | 7,290 | $55,373 | $968 |
| 59 | Iowa City | Johnson County | 22.4% | 75,752 | $58,546 | $1,094 |
Largest Cities · Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities With the Lowest Unemployment · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · Most College-Educated Cities · Cities With the Most Homeowners · Cities With the Most Remote Work · Cities With the Shortest Commutes
Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
Clive, with 9.7% (among the 59 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 59 largest places in Iowa by population.