Des Moines, IA Rental Market for Investors
An estimated 73% of Des Moines's active listings could cash-flow as a short-term rental — here's what the numbers say for investors, as of October 2026.
As of October 2026, we analyzed 904 active for-sale homes in Des Moines, Iowa. The typical listing is priced at $255,000 and is projected to generate about $33,606 a year as a short-term rental.
After setting aside an estimated 20% for operating costs, an estimated 73.1% of those homes could still cover an investor mortgage payment on short-term-rental income — well above the 53.1% median across the 200 major metros we track, ranking Des Moines #19 of 200 for cash-flow potential.
On market momentum: homes in Des Moines sit a median of 59 days on the market, and 26% of active listings came on in just the last 30 days — a steadily paced market, which shapes how much room there is to negotiate.
For a DSCR loan — which qualifies on the property's rental income rather than your personal income — that's a relatively healthy setup: in Des Moines, a meaningful share of listings throw off enough short-term-rental income, after costs, to cover an estimated investor mortgage payment.
What actually works in Des Moines
Des Moines works for investors, but the window is specific: 253 of the 696 Des Moines homes, condos and townhomes we can price confidently clear a DSCR of 1.25. Nine in ten of them are priced under $318,000.
| Price | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $150k–$250k | 0%0.84 | 36%1.18 | 66%1.38 | 100%1.74 | — |
| $250k–$350k | — | 11%0.94 | 18%1.09 | 80%1.40 | — |
| $350k–$500k | — | 0%0.63 | 3%0.98 | 9%1.02 | 31%1.15 |
| $500k+ | — | — | 0%0.49 | 0%0.68 | — |
Darker means a larger share of that group cash-flows. “—” means fewer than 8 active listings — too few to draw a conclusion from.
Des Moines in full
| Active for-sale homes analyzed | 904 |
|---|---|
| Median list price | $255,000 |
| Median projected STR revenue (annual, gross) | $33,606 |
| Median average daily rate (ADR) | $185 |
| Median occupancy | 53% |
| Median beds | 3 |
| Median size | 1,358 sqft |
| Estimated cash-flow-positive share | 73.1% |
| Median days on market | 59 days |
| New listings (last 30 days) | 26.3% of active |
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Estimates for educational purposes. Final terms subject to credit, property & program approval.
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