Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in West Des Moines, IA

Discover affordable housing in West Des Moines where there are 25+ 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.

Sun Prairie Apartments

6017 Vista Dr, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266

switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
accessibility Accessible

Maple Grove Villas

8602 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266

bed 2-3
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers

Crestview Terrace

916 Ashworth Rd, West Des Moines, Iowa 50265

bed 1-2
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible

Winterset Iv, Lp

3636 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266

Summerwood Apartments

5280 Dakota Dr, West Des Moines, Iowa 50265

switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers

How To Identify Affordable Housing in West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines, Iowa
$20.45/hour
$13.20 (+182%) more than Iowa minimum wage and $13.20 (+182%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About West Des Moines, Iowa Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve West Des Moines, Iowa?

Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.

Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing programs for West Des Moines, Iowa.

Go to the Iowa Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near West Des Moines.

How many renters live in West Des Moines, Iowa?

The City of West Des Moines has people living in households.

There are renters living in renter households in this City. Renters make up 34.52 percent of the population living in West Des Moines.

What is the rental market like in West Des Moines, Iowa?

There are an estimated housing units in the West Des Moines area. Of these, units are rental homes, making up percent of the housing market. For every renter household in West Des Moines, Iowa, there are 1.08 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in West Des Moines?

The rental vacancy rate in West Des Moines is 6 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.

How many rental units are in West Des Moines for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in West Des Moines
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
815 2,909 7,487 1,599 278
Occupied Rental Units by Size in West Des Moines

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

How Much Is Rent in West Des Moines

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $833 to $1,481. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $833
One BR $899
Two BR $1,080
Three BR $1,477
Four BR $1,481
2024 Fair Market Rents in West Des Moines, Iowa

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in West Des Moines?

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 160 20 percent
One BR 887 30 percent
Two BR 2,568 34 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in West Des Moines, Iowa

How many affordable rental units are in West Des Moines?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance
Tracked Units by Federal Program in West Des Moines, Iowa

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

Income Based Apartments in West Des Moines, Iowa

West Des Moines features 105 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 West Des Moines, Iowa

There are 1,718 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in West Des Moines.

Housing Choice Vouchers in West Des Moines, Iowa

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay West Des Moines landlords $0 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $0 towards rent in West Des Moines.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in West Des Moines, Iowa for a two-bedroom apartment is between $972 and $1,188.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

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