Iowa

In Iowa, the Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom apartment is $594. In order to afford this level of rent and utilities, without paying more than 30% of income on housing, a household must earn $1,979 monthly or $23,744 annually. Assuming a 40-hour work week, 52 weeks per year, this level of income translates into a Housing Wage of $11.42.

In Iowa, a minimum wage worker earns an hourly wage of $5.15. In order to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom apartment, a minimum wage earner must work 89 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, a household must include 2.2 minimum wage earner(s) working 40 hours per week year-round in order to make the two bedroom FMR affordable.

In Iowa, the estimated mean (average) wage for a renter is $9.62 an hour. In order to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom apartment at this wage, a renter must work 47 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, working 40 hours per week year-round, a household must include 1.2 worker(s) earning the mean renter wage in order to make the two-bedroom FMR affordable.

Monthly Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for an individual are $603 in Iowa. If SSI represents an individual's sole source of income, $181 in monthly rent is affordable, while the FMR for a one-bedroom is $471.

A unit is considered affordable if it costs no more than 30% of the renter's income.

For an explanation of these data, see How to use the Numbers / Where the Numbers Come From.

If necessary, use the scroll bar at the bottom of the table to view additional jurisdictions.

 IowaStory County
Number of Households (2000)
Total1,149,27629,383
Renter317,84912,260
% Renter28%42%
2006 Area Median Income1
Annual$58,689$67,000
Monthly$4,891$5,583
30% of AMI2$17,607$20,100
Maximum Affordable3 Monthly Housing Cost by % of Family AMI
30%$440$503
50%$734$838
80%$1,174$1,340
100%$1,467$1,675
2007 Fair Market Rent (FMR)4
Zero-Bedroom$413$523
One-Bedroom$471$552
Two-Bedroom$594$682
Three-Bedroom$774$976
Four-Bedroom$859$1,155
% Change from 2000 Base Rent to 2007 FMR
Zero-Bedroom19%19%
One-Bedroom19%18%
Two-Bedroom19%18%
Three-Bedroom19%19%
Four-Bedroom19%19%
Annual Income Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom$16,515$20,920
One-Bedroom$18,843$22,080
Two-Bedroom$23,744$27,280
Three-Bedroom$30,956$39,040
Four-Bedroom$34,342$46,200
Percent of Family AMI Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom28%31%
One-Bedroom32%33%
Two-Bedroom40%41%
Three-Bedroom53%58%
Four-Bedroom59%69%
2006 Renter Household Income
Estimated Median5$29,620$27,548
Percent Needed to Afford 2 BR FMR80%99%
Rent Affordable at Median$741$689
% Renters Unable to Afford 2 BR FMR640%49%
2005 Renter Wage
Estimated Mean Renter Wage7$9.62$7.79
Rent Affordable at Mean Wage$500$405
2006 Minimum Wage
Minimum Wage$5.15$5.15
Rent Affordable at Minimum Wage$268$268
2006 Supplemental Security Income
Monthly SSI Payment$603$603
Rent Affordable at SSI$181$181
Housing Wage
Zero-Bedroom$7.94$10.06
One-Bedroom$9.06$10.62
Two-Bedroom$11.42$13.12
Three-Bedroom$14.88$18.77
Four-Bedroom$16.51$22.21
Housing Wage as % of Minimum Wage
Zero-Bedroom154%195%
One-Bedroom176%206%
Two-Bedroom222%255%
Three-Bedroom289%364%
Four-Bedroom321%431%
Housing Wage as % of Mean Renter Wage
Zero-Bedroom83%129%
One-Bedroom94%136%
Two-Bedroom119%168%
Three-Bedroom155%241%
Four-Bedroom172%285%
Work Hours/Week at Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom6278
One-Bedroom7082
Two-Bedroom89102
Three-Bedroom116146
Four-Bedroom128173
Work Hours/Week at Mean Renter Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom3352
One-Bedroom3854
Two-Bedroom4767
Three-Bedroom6296
Four-Bedroom69114
Full-time Jobs at Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom1.52.0
One-Bedroom1.82.1
Two-Bedroom2.22.5
Three-Bedroom2.93.6
Four-Bedroom3.24.3
Full-time Jobs at Mean Renter Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom0.81.3
One-Bedroom0.91.4
Two-Bedroom1.21.7
Three-Bedroom1.52.4
Four-Bedroom1.72.9
 IowaStory County
 IowaStory County
Number of Households (2000)
Total1,149,27629,383
Renter317,84912,260
% Renter28%42%
2006 Area Median Income1
Annual$58,689$67,000
Monthly$4,891$5,583
30% of AMI2$17,607$20,100
Maximum Affordable3 Monthly Housing Cost by % of Family AMI
30%$440$503
50%$734$838
80%$1,174$1,340
100%$1,467$1,675
2007 Fair Market Rent (FMR)4
Zero-Bedroom$413$523
One-Bedroom$471$552
Two-Bedroom$594$682
Three-Bedroom$774$976
Four-Bedroom$859$1,155
% Change from 2000 Base Rent to 2007 FMR
Zero-Bedroom19%19%
One-Bedroom19%18%
Two-Bedroom19%18%
Three-Bedroom19%19%
Four-Bedroom19%19%
Annual Income Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom$16,515$20,920
One-Bedroom$18,843$22,080
Two-Bedroom$23,744$27,280
Three-Bedroom$30,956$39,040
Four-Bedroom$34,342$46,200
Percent of Family AMI Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom28%31%
One-Bedroom32%33%
Two-Bedroom40%41%
Three-Bedroom53%58%
Four-Bedroom59%69%
2006 Renter Household Income
Estimated Median5$29,620$27,548
Percent Needed to Afford 2 BR FMR80%99%
Rent Affordable at Median$741$689
% Renters Unable to Afford 2 BR FMR640%49%
2005 Renter Wage
Estimated Mean Renter Wage7$9.62$7.79
Rent Affordable at Mean Wage$500$405
2006 Minimum Wage
Minimum Wage$5.15$5.15
Rent Affordable at Minimum Wage$268$268
2006 Supplemental Security Income
Monthly SSI Payment$603$603
Rent Affordable at SSI$181$181
Housing Wage
Zero-Bedroom$7.94$10.06
One-Bedroom$9.06$10.62
Two-Bedroom$11.42$13.12
Three-Bedroom$14.88$18.77
Four-Bedroom$16.51$22.21
Housing Wage as % of Minimum Wage
Zero-Bedroom154%195%
One-Bedroom176%206%
Two-Bedroom222%255%
Three-Bedroom289%364%
Four-Bedroom321%431%
Housing Wage as % of Mean Renter Wage
Zero-Bedroom83%129%
One-Bedroom94%136%
Two-Bedroom119%168%
Three-Bedroom155%241%
Four-Bedroom172%285%
Work Hours/Week at Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom6278
One-Bedroom7082
Two-Bedroom89102
Three-Bedroom116146
Four-Bedroom128173
Work Hours/Week at Mean Renter Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom3352
One-Bedroom3854
Two-Bedroom4767
Three-Bedroom6296
Four-Bedroom69114
Full-time Jobs at Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom1.52.0
One-Bedroom1.82.1
Two-Bedroom2.22.5
Three-Bedroom2.93.6
Four-Bedroom3.24.3
Full-time Jobs at Mean Renter Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom0.81.3
One-Bedroom0.91.4
Two-Bedroom1.21.7
Three-Bedroom1.52.4
Four-Bedroom1.72.9
 IowaStory County

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C H A R T   F O O T N O T E S
1.HUD, 2006.
2.Annual income of 30% of AMI or less is the federal standard for Extremely Low Income households. Does not include HUD-specific adjustments.
3."Affordable" rents represent the generally accepted standard of spending not more than 30% of income on housing costs.
4.HUD, 2006; final as of October 1.
5.Census 2000 median renter household income, adjusted to a 2006 value using HUD's income adjustment factor.
6.Estimated by comparing the percent of renter median household income required to afford the two-bedroom FMR to the percent distribution of renter household income as a percent of the median within the state, as measured using 2005 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample. States are the most local level for which these data are available.
7.Estimated mean renter wage is based on BLS data and adjusted using the ratio of renter to total household income reported in Census 2000.
*50th percentile FMR (See Appendix B).
†BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Data Unavailable (See Appendix A).
 For a listing of towns within FMR areas in New England States, see Appendix C.

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