| Metric | Latest | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Median listing price | $339,996 | -1.5% YoY |
| Median price per sq ft | $225 | 1,505 sq ft median |
| Median days on market | 65 | 0% YoY |
| Active listings | 3,856 | +13% YoY |
| New listings this month | 1,250 | September 2026 |
| Listings with a price cut | 24% | Share of active |
| Median sale price (closed) | $320,000 | +6.7% YoY · closed sales, July 2026 |
| Sale-to-list ratio | 98.4% | Closed sales, July 2026, seasonally adjusted |
| Pending-to-active ratio | 38.0% | 1,467 pending |
| Inventory vs 2019 | 105% | Active listings vs same month in 2019 |
| Gross rental yield | 4.6% | 2BR fair market rent |
Secondary metropolitan market · Iowa · September 2026 data
What is the Des Moines, IA real estate market doing?
As of September 2026, the median home listed in Des Moines, IA asks $339,996, down 1.5% year over year. Homes spend a median of 65 days on market, with 3,856 active listings and 24% carrying a price cut; pending contracts equal 38% of active listings, and inventory sits at 105% of the same month in 2019 — a balanced market. Estimated gross rental yield on the median listing is 4.6%. Figures come from public records and industry data, updated monthly.
Median listing price
$339,996
▼ 1.5% YoY
Median $ / sq ft
$225
1,505 sq ft median
Median days on market
65
September 2026
Active listings
3,856
For sale now
New listings
1,250
September 2026
Listings with price cuts
24%
Share of active
Inventory vs 2019
105%
Same month, 2019 = 100
Pending / active
38%
Contract activity
Median sale price (closed)
$320,000
▲ 6.7% YoY · closed sales · July 2026
Sale-to-list ratio
98.4%
Closed sales · July 2026, seasonally adjusted
Homes sold / month
950
Closed sales · July 2026, seasonally adjusted
What is the Des Moines, IA housing market doing right now?
The Des Moines, IA housing market lists at a $339,996 median as of September 2026, down 1.5% year over year, with a 65-day median market time and 3,856 homes for sale (24% with a price cut). Active inventory is 105% of the 2019 level, reading as a balanced market under WealthyBud's published buyer/seller rule. Gross rental yield is about 4.6%.
Des Moines housing market statistics
The table summarizes Des Moines's key housing figures for September 2026 — median listing and closed-sale prices, market pace, inventory and rental yield — each computed from public records and industry data. Closed-sale figures are Redfin's July 2026 data, the latest settled month Redfin reports for Des Moines.
How have home prices changed in Des Moines?
Des Moines home prices are down 1.5% year over year and -1.4% month over month as of September 2026, at a $339,996 median listing price. The chart tracks the trailing eight-quarter trend in the metro's median asking price.
Median listing price, Des Moines IA · trailing 8 quarters · source: public records and industry data.
The 10-year view
10-year median listing price, Des Moines IA · June of each year, 2017–2026 · source: public records and industry data.
How much inventory is on the market in Des Moines?
Des Moines has 3,856 active listings, 1,250 new this month, 1,467 pending as of September 2026. About 24% of active listings have cut their price, and inventory sits at 105% of its 2019 level — a balanced market by pace.
Is Des Moines a good real estate investment?
Des Moines scores 53/100 on WealthyBud's composite Investor Score, ranking #387 of 933 covered U.S. metros as of September 2026. The score blends price momentum, value, rental yield, supply and market heat into one percentile. It is a research opinion, not advice.
Investor Score
53/100
#387 of 933 covered metros
Price volatility
Low
σ 4.0% · 20-yr price-index swings
Des Moines scores 53/100 on our composite Investor Score (#387 of 933 covered metros), a percentile blend of momentum, value, rental yield, supply and market-heat readings; the metro's long-run house price index has it up 40% over five years and +70% over ten, leaving prices 39% above its own 2000–2019 trend; at the published FY2026 fair market rent of $1,302/mo for a two-bedroom, the gross rental yield on the median listing is about 4.6%; active inventory sits at 105% of its June 2019 level, so supply is fully rebuilt past pre-pandemic norms; listing prices are down 1.5% year over year; all against a national 30-year fixed mortgage rate of 7.28% (national weekly average, 2026-10-01).
Scores are percentile ranks (0–100) across all covered U.S. metros, computed from the public data cited on this page — formulas here. They are data-derived opinions, not investment advice. See how Des Moines ranks on the trending markets index.
How much is a monthly mortgage payment in Des Moines?
A home at Des Moines's $339,996 median listing runs about $1,861 a month in principal and interest — 20% down on a 30-year fixed loan at the current 7.28% national average rate. Taxes, insurance and HOA are extra.
If rates fall 1% · 6.28%
$1,680/mo
−$181/mo vs today
At today's rate · 7.28%
$1,861/mo
National weekly average
If rates rise 1% · 8.28%
$2,049/mo
+$188/mo vs today
Principal & interest on the $339,996 median listing with 20% down and a 30-year fixed loan — excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Current rate: 7.28% (national weekly average, 2026-10-01). Model a full deal in the deal analyzer.
How much income do you need to buy a home in Des Moines?
To buy Des Moines’s $339,996 median listing with 20% down, a household needs about $100,000 a year in gross income, keeping principal, interest and property tax ($2,331/mo) at 28% of income. That is 1.2× the area’s $84,209 median household income, so a typical Des Moines household cannot afford the median listing on these terms.
| Item | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Median listing price | $339,996 | September 2026 |
| Down payment (20%) | $67,999 | Assumption |
| Principal & interest (7.28%, 30-yr fixed) | $1,861/mo | Rate as of 2026-10-01 |
| Property tax (1.66% effective rate) | $470/mo | Census ACS |
| Income needed (28% rule) | $100,000 | Gross household income / yr |
| Median household income | $84,209 | Census ACS 2023 ACS 5-year |
Excludes homeowners insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance, so the true income needed is higher. Compare every market in the income-needed ranking and the price-to-income ranking.
What is driving the Des Moines housing market?
Longer-run demand in Des Moines shows up in 6,233 homes permitted in 2025; net migration of +2,543 residents; -0.5% job growth. Natural-hazard risk rates Relatively Moderate. These federal supply-pipeline, migration and jobs signals shape where prices head next.
Building permits (2025)
6,233
▲ 23.3% vs 2024
8.7 per 1,000 residents
Net migration (2022–2023)
+2,543
▲ people, via tax-return records
net income flow +$74.8M/yr
Job growth (YoY)
-0.5%
▼ 411.3k nonfarm jobs · August 2026
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Moderate
National hazard index · top hazard: Riverine flooding
Based on public government records — building-permit, tax-return migration, employment and natural-hazard statistics, aggregated to the metro. Details on /methodology.
What is the latest Des Moines real estate news?
Des Moines Metro Housing Market Shows Strong Activity in Maynewsradio 1040 who · 2026-06-15→Are homes selling in Des Moines in 2026?southernminn.com · 2026-06-25→Are homes selling in Des Moines in 2026?Corydon Times · 2026-06-25→First homes of affordable housing initiative hit the market in Des MoinesIowa Public Radio · 2026-05-15→
The Des Moines housing market shows strong activity and new affordable housing initiatives. — AI-generated summary of the headlines above; read the linked coverage before relying on it.
Headlines collected 2026-07-05; each links to the original publisher.
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Median price, pace and inventory for 13 Des Moines ZIPs — the spread behind the metro number.
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The highest-producing real estate agents in Des Moines, ranked by recent sales.
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ReadDes Moines housing market FAQ
What is the median home price in Des Moines?
As of September 2026, the median listing price in Des Moines, IA is $339,996, down 1.5% year over year (source: public records and industry data).
How much does it cost to buy a home in Des Moines?
The median home listed in Des Moines asks $339,996 as of September 2026. With 20% down on a 30-year fixed loan at the current 7.28% national average rate, that runs about $1,861 a month in principal and interest, before taxes, insurance and HOA.
How fast are homes selling in Des Moines?
The median property in Des Moines spends 65 days on the market, with 3,856 homes actively listed and 24% of them carrying a price cut — a balanced market as of September 2026.
Is it a buyer's or seller's market in Des Moines?
With a median 65 days on market and 24% of active listings carrying a price cut, pending contracts at 38% of active listings, Des Moines reads as a balanced market as of September 2026. Labels use WealthyBud's published DOM / sale-to-list / price-cut / pending rule. Conditions shift monthly.
Is Des Moines a good place to invest in real estate?
Des Moines scores 53/100 on WealthyBud's Investor Score, ranking #387 of 933 covered U.S. metros as of September 2026. The score blends price momentum, value, rental yield, supply and market heat. It is a data-derived research opinion, not investment advice.
Who are the top real estate agents in Des Moines?
See WealthyBud directories for the top-producing agents, teams and brokerages serving Des Moines and the wider Iowa market, ranked by recent sales from public profile data.
Based on public records and industry data, September 2026 — see our methodology for how every figure is computed. Figures change monthly — verify current conditions with a local agent or MLS. Portions of market data courtesy of Realtor.com and Redfin; additional statistics from U.S. government sources.
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