Des Moines housing market: home prices, trends and forecast
Des Moines home prices: for Des Moines, Iowa, the Zillow Home Value Index shows the typical home at $208,053 in September 2026, −0.3% versus a year earlier and −1.4% under the $210,931 peak from February 2026.
- Value of a typical home
- $208,053September 2026, Zillow ZHVI
- Change over 12 months
- −0.3%. Change since September 2025.
Des Moines home prices since 2000
Des Moines is the steel line and the United States the grey line. Beginning in January 2000, the typical home in Des Moines increased from $76,135 to $208,053, a change of ×2.73. The US recorded ×2.99 over those months. The boom high was $108,262 in August 2007. The low was $90,566 in March 2012, a decline of 16.3%.
Yearly median home prices in Des Moines
Each yearly figure averages the twelve monthly values; for 2026 the latest month is shown.
| Year | Des Moines | Change on the year | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | $78,365 | $125,745 | |
| 2001 | $82,987 | +5.9% | $134,899 |
| 2002 | $87,210 | +5.1% | $144,276 |
| 2003 | $93,037 | +6.7% | $155,308 |
| 2004 | $97,314 | +4.6% | $169,891 |
| 2005 | $101,419 | +4.2% | $189,732 |
| 2006 | $106,000 | +4.5% | $206,531 |
| 2007 | $107,954 | +1.8% | $208,449 |
| 2008 | $106,220 | −1.6% | $195,574 |
| 2009 | $102,444 | −3.6% | $177,542 |
| 2010 | $100,320 | −2.1% | $171,462 |
| 2011 | $93,826 | −6.5% | $162,508 |
| 2012 | $93,373 | −0.5% | $161,137 |
| 2013 | $99,494 | +6.6% | $171,420 |
| 2014 | $105,368 | +5.9% | $182,996 |
| 2015 | $110,342 | +4.7% | $192,738 |
| 2016 | $120,224 | +9.0% | $204,509 |
| 2017 | $129,353 | +7.6% | $216,767 |
| 2018 | $139,102 | +7.5% | $230,541 |
| 2019 | $147,094 | +5.7% | $242,088 |
| 2020 | $152,897 | +3.9% | $257,151 |
| 2021 | $169,376 | +10.8% | $295,959 |
| 2022 | $184,967 | +9.2% | $340,014 |
| 2023 | $193,479 | +4.6% | $348,160 |
| 2024 | $204,500 | +5.7% | $359,751 |
| 2025 | $208,890 | +2.1% | $362,959 |
| September 2026 | $208,053 | −0.3% | $366,157 |
What a home bought in Des Moines in any year is worth now
This index-based estimate describes a typical home and is not an appraisal.
A year's figure averages its twelve monthly index values; the current value is September 2026. Other options: home appreciation calculator.
Are you thinking of selling? Local agents can be compared on Realtor.com. Advertising disclosure: links like this one may pay the site, but no number changes as a result. Disclosure.
Des Moines housing market forecast
For the Des Moines, IA metro, Zillow's forecast is +1.6% over 12 months from September 2026, with +0.5% predicted for the next three months. The forecast would raise Des Moines's typical value from $208,053 to around $211,400 in one year.
The metro forecast is Zillow's central estimate, repeated here. The site does not publish any forecast of its own. Forecasts over 12 months like this one usually differ from the realized change by several percentage points. The difference can go in either direction. This is not investment advice.
All metro forecasts in a single table: housing market forecast.
Des Moines housing market crash risk score
41 of 100, on the high side
To rank Des Moines against 292 cities, the score uses five conditions that ran high before earlier price falls. Each measure receives a score from 0 to 100 after comparison with the other cities. Equal weight is then given to all five scores in the average. Conditions now are what it describes; a crash is not what it predicts.
| Input | Value | Sub-score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active listings vs 2019 | +5.0% | 53 | 20% |
| Time on the market vs 2019 | +3.2% | 46 | 20% |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 15.4 | 29 | 20% |
| Price-to-income ratio | 3.1 | 8 | 20% |
| 12-month price change | −0.3% | 68 | 20% |
This is not investment advice. Scoring of the inputs: methodology. Rankings for all 292 cities: crash risk by city.
Des Moines inventory and days on market
For September 2026 the Des Moines, IA metro recorded 3,856 homes for sale, up +13.3% from a year earlier and +5.0% from September 2019. The median time to sell a listing was 65 days, +3.2% against 2019. Of all listings, 23.9% had their price reduced.
| Des Moines, IA metro, September 2026 | Value | On a year |
|---|---|---|
| Active listings | 3,856 | +13.3% |
| New listings | 1,250 | |
| Median days on market | 65 | 0% |
| Median list price | $339,996 | −1.5% |
| Share with a price cut | 23.9% |
Metro inventory figures come from Realtor.com® Economic Research. Realtor.com. For every metro, see days on market by city.
Living costs in Des Moines
The Zillow Observed Rent Index put the typical asking rent in Des Moines at $1,129 a month, up 1.0% on a year. At that rent level, 15.4 years are needed to cover the cost of a typical home. The median household income stands at $67,297 (Census ACS 2024), which puts the typical home at 3.1 times a year of household income. BEA gives metro prices a figure of 91.7, against 100 for the US. It gives housing costs 84.7.
The salary needed to move there, plus rent and prices: Des Moines cost of living.
Other housing markets across Iowa
- Cedar Rapids $215,727
- Davenport: $194,286.
- Sioux City $200,738
- Iowa City $300,467
Statewide information: Iowa housing market.
How to read the chart
Each point represents the Zillow Home Value Index for Des Moines, which tracks a typical home in the market's middle third after smoothing and seasonal adjustment, with values in that month's dollars. The hollow point identifies the selected slider month, while the terracotta point identifies the newest month. Inflation adjustments are not applied to these figures. An index tracks the typical home rather than one specific house. Use the card above or the home appreciation calculator to calculate one home's value from its sale price.