Rent vs buy in West Des Moines, IA
In West Des Moines, Iowa, typical rent is $1,353 /mo and a typical home is $320,565.
Over 7 years, renting comes out $71k ahead
Using West Des Moines's typical rent, typical home value, and today's mortgage rate with 20% down. No break-even occurs within 30 years.
Clearly labeled opinion with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. If you change a number, the stamp changes with it.
- Renting is ahead by
- $71k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- 30+ years owning never catches up sooner
- Owning's true cost
- $2,979 /mo year 1, against $1,353 rent
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In West Des Moines, does renting or buying cost less?
Across 7 years, renting saves $70,706 when you include the money recovered through a sale. In every year shown, renting's net cost is lower than owning's, and owning never catches up within 30 years.
Renting option. Owning option. Net cost by year so far.
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in West Des Moines
At West Des Moines's typical price, here's every monthly cost for year 1, not just rent and the mortgage.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,353 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,748 | $1,540 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $406 | 1.52% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $111 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $267 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,532 | $207 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $521 | What the cash would earn each year at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $134 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $2,979 | Cash out, minus the equity portion, plus the two lines above. |
West Des Moines verdict: the numbers behind it
- Typical home valueZHVI, September 2026 from Zillow
- $320,565
- Zillow ZORI, September 2026 for the typical rent
- $1,353 a month
- Private mortgage insurance isn't modeled by the engine, and a 20% down payment avoids it
- 20%
- Mortgage rate from Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- House price growth based on FHFA house price index, Iowa, 1995 to 2025
- Each year: 3.7%
- Rent growthCPI rent for a primary residence, yearly growth 2006 to 2026
- Each year: 3.5%
- Return on savings60% S&P 500, dividends included, plus 40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced each year, 1928 to 2025
- 8.3% each year
- Property tax based on Census ACS 2020-2024, West Des Moines
- 1.52% of the value
- Home insurance from Census ACS 2020-2024, West Des Moines
- $111 each month
- Maintenance costs based on Fannie Mae, low end of 1% to 4%
- Each year: 1% of value
- Buying costs based on Freddie Mac, middle of 2% to 5%
- The price times 3.5%
- Selling expensesAgent commission plus closing costs
- The price times 6%
In West Des Moines, what would flip it?
Each line shows where the 7-year verdict for West Des Moines changes while all other figures remain the same.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow at under 6.4% a year (3.7% is Iowa's long-run rate, which we use).
- The mortgage rate holds above 3.26%.
- A similar home costs less than $2,110 a month to rent, compared with the typical $1,353 here.
- If you move at any time within 30 years, owning never catches up with these figures.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow by more than 6.4% a year.
- You secure a mortgage rate under 3.26%, compared with today's rate of 7.24%.
- The same home would cost more than $2,110 monthly to rent.
How West Des Moines compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | West Des Moines | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $320,565 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,353 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 19.7 (#344 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 4.1% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 3.3% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 1.52% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 43% | 42% |
Data sources: Zillow's ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in Iowa
- For Des Moines, IA, renting wins by $29k.
- For Sioux City, IA, renting wins by $8k.
- For Ankeny, IA, renting wins by $74k.
- For Council Bluffs, IA, renting wins by $23k.