Urbandale: Housing & Real Estate
$335,500 is the median home value in Urbandale (estimated market value runs 12% higher at $377,425), with median rent $1,211 (1.1× higher than Polk County median $1,149; 1.2× higher than Iowa median $972). Homeownership rate: 78.1%. That's 1.3× higher than the Polk County median ($262,100); 1.6× higher than the Iowa median ($208,000). Market is hot. Vacancy rate 4.8%. New construction makes up 16.5% of stock. 5 nursing facilities on file. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 3.0× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Iowa 2.8×).
- 23.1 years to break even renting at the median (vs Iowa 16y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.7× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 8% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $335,500 — 1.8× the Iowa median ($187,100). Median rent $1,211/month. homeownership rate 78.1% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 3.0× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 12.5% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 30.4% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 6.8% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 4.9% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $1,063 (vs Iowa $774) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $1,109 (vs Iowa $816) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,318 (vs Iowa $1,071) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,794 (vs Iowa $1,490) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,841 (vs Iowa $1,797) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $377,425 |
| Median Home Value | $335,500 (vs Iowa $187,100) |
| Median Rent | $1,211 (vs Iowa $967) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | hot |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 4.8% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 16.5% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 5.2% |
| Housing Orgs · Total count | 4 |
Sources: IRS BMF NTEE L
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Systems (1)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Iowa median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Iowa median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Iowa median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 75.9% (vs Iowa 73.1%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 22,241 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 13.40¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 1448818 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $1,939 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Iowa median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Iowa median) |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 1 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 9 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 8 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 13 |
| Ev Charging · Dc Fast Ports | 7 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 78.1% (vs Iowa 67.5%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1992 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12