Median home value is about $137,300 — about 61% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).
Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $815 (about 30% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 66.5% (about 1.1 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).
To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 50316 in Des Moines, IA, a household would need roughly $38,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $882. That sits below the local median household income ($53,090), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.