Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Iowa, IA

Discover affordable housing in Iowa where there are 750+ housing opportunities based on income and household needs like accessible units for seniors or persons with disabilities. Find and apply to these low income apartments now.

Applewood Properties

2517 NW 14th St, Ankeny, Iowa 50023

bed 2
payment $895/mo.

The Quad

75-83 Miller Ave SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404

bed 4
payment $1145/mo.

Pheasant Run Apartments

470 Quail Ct SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404

bed 1-2
payment $820-905/mo.

Aspire at West Campus

158 Hawkeye Ct, Iowa City, Iowa 52246

bed 2
payment $851/mo.

The Pines

309 NW 18th St, Ankeny, Iowa 50023

bed 3
payment $1300/mo.

Park @ Nine23

923 Maplewood Dr, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

bed 2
payment $800/mo.

Johnston Gardens Apartments

5705 NW 57th Ave, Johnston, Iowa 50131

bed 3
payment $1400/mo.

The Flats on 21st

1313 21st St, Des Moines, Iowa 50311

bed Studio-1
payment $650-695/mo.

Ingersoll Towers

3662 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50312

bed 1-3
payment $850-1175/mo.

Summer Street Apartments

603 Summer St, Burlington, Iowa 52601

bed 2
payment $950/mo.

Hickory Ridge Apartments

4301 Lincoln Swing, Ames, Iowa 50014

bed 2
payment $899/mo.

Saylorville Lakeside

408 Sandpiper Ct, Polk City, Iowa 50226

bed 2
payment $998/mo.

Wakonda Village and Manor Apartment Homes

1800 Watrous Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50315

bed 1-2
payment $795-950/mo.

Forest Avenue Village

3201 Forest Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50311

bed Studio
payment $825/mo.

Urban Green Apartments

7715 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, Iowa 50322

bed 1-2
payment $855-910/mo.

University Place Lofts

2328 University Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50311

bed 2
payment $1050/mo.

Providence Pointe

6210 NW 106th St, Johnston, Iowa 50131

bed 3
payment $1426/mo.

Indian Ridge Apartments

3403 Jersey Ridge Rd, Davenport, Iowa 52807

bed 3
payment $1040/mo.

Westchester Square

5528 Meredith Dr, Des Moines, Iowa 50310

bed 2
payment $1045/mo.

Autumn Ridge Apartments - Casual Spaces. L...

1150 SE Olson Dr, Waukee, Iowa 50263

bed 3
payment $1399/mo.

How To Identify Affordable Housing in Iowa

Look for program and preference badges on affordable apartment listings. These badges can help you identify the types of low income housing each apartment offers and if you may be eligbile for rental assistance or reduced rents.

Badge Description
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
Low income apartments with no or short waiting lists.
payment Subsidized
Low income housing where the rent is subsidized and the renter pays only a portion of total rent.
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
Apartments that accept Section 8 vouchers near you
elderly Senior
Rental housing for seniors who are 55 (or sometimes 62) and older.
payment Income Based
Affordable apartments where the rent paid is based on renter income.
accessibility Accessible
Meets Accessibilty Requirements of the Fair Housing Act, the ADA, or HUD policy.
accessible_forward Disability
Apartments for individuals or families with disabilities.
real_estate_agent Naturally Affordable
Naturally Occuring Affordable Housing - or NOAH - is any housing unit that offers affordable rent without participating in a rent subsidy program.
The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Iowa
$17.42/hour
$10.17 (+140%) more than Iowa minimum wage and $10.17 (+140%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Iowa Affordable Housing ↓

How many renters live in Iowa?

The State of Iowa has people living in households.

There are renters living in renter households in this State. Renters make up 15.26 percent of the population living in Iowa.

What is the rental market like in Iowa?

There are an estimated housing units in the Iowa area. Of these, units are rental homes, making up percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Iowa, there are 1.14 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Iowa?

The rental vacancy rate in Iowa is 10 percent. This is a higher than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are high it means that there are a lot of available units and rents tend to be lower.

How many rental units are in Iowa for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Iowa
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
93 357 553 410 121
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Iowa

A large number of apartments in Iowa have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Iowa?

Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.

These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:

Unit Size Count of Units Below FMR Percentage of Total Units Below FMR
Studio 56 60 percent
One BR 257 72 percent
Two BR 314 57 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Iowa

How many affordable rental units are in Iowa?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Iowa including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Iowa

Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.

Income Based Apartments in Iowa

Iowa features 25,968 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.

Low Rent Apartments in Iowa

There are 23,361 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Iowa.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Iowa

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Iowa landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Iowa.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Iowa for a two-bedroom apartment is between $828 and $1,012.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

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