What are the best Airbnb markets in Iowa?

Airbtics ranks short-term rental markets in Iowa by Market Grade. The grade compares yield (annual revenue divided by property price), year-over-year revenue growth, and occupancy, then adjusts for regulation. The highest-graded market in this dataset is Des Moines-West Des Moines. The main table lists markets in that order; use the Market Explorer to filter by budget, regulations, and more.

How many Airbnb markets does Airbtics track in Iowa?

We currently analyze 1 active short-term rental markets in Iowa with listing supply, median occupancy, ADR, and revenue estimates.

What is the average Airbnb occupancy rate in Iowa?

The national average occupancy rate across tracked markets is 57.00% (LTM). Rates differ by city. Use the rankboard on this page, or open a market page for that city's numbers.

How do I compare Airbnb markets in Iowa?

Use the occupancy vs ADR rankboard on this page for a quick view, or open the Market Explorer to compare markets side by side, change chart axes, export to Excel, and save markets to a watchlist.

How can I estimate Airbnb income in Iowa?

Use our Airbnb income calculator to estimate revenue for a specific address, or open any market link below for median revenue and occupancy benchmarks.

Best Airbnb Markets in Iowa (2026)

Based on Airbtics data from September 2025 to August 2026, this page ranks the best Airbnb markets in Iowa by Market Grade. The grade compares short-term rental yield, year-over-year revenue growth, and occupancy (demand), then adjusts for local regulation. The table also shows listing count, average daily rate, and annual revenue for every market.

Markets on this page are ranked by the Airbtics Market Grade, not by the number of listings. The grade compares each market with the other markets in this ranking on three measures, then adjusts for local short-term rental regulation.

Yield: Annual short-term rental revenue divided by property price. A higher yield ranks higher.
Growth: Year-over-year change in revenue. Faster revenue growth ranks higher.
Demand: Average occupancy rate over the last 12 months. Higher occupancy ranks higher.

Stricter short-term rental regulation lowers the letter grade. Occupancy, average daily rate, and annual revenue are shown for every market. Exact yield and revenue growth are published for the three highest-graded markets. For every other market those two figures are in Market Explorer. The rankboard plots the same markets by occupancy and average daily rate, and the table under the chart lists those values in text.

Learn more about how we collect the data and accuracy

Last updated: 16th October, 2026

Average Occupancy Rate i

57.00%

Average Annual Revenue i

$35,592

Average Daily Rate (ADR) i

$163

YoY Supply Growth i

44.56%

YoY Revenue Change i

13.01%

Top Iowa Cities for Airbnb in 2026

Tick the markets you like to track their revenue, occupancy, and ADR in your Airbtics watchlist. Free to start, up to 10 markets.

	Position	Market Grade	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Revenue Growth
	1	B	Des Moines-West Des Moines	Lenient	1,127	57% 🚀	$163	$35,592	17.3%	+13.0%

Data Seen By

BiggerPockets

Market Explorer

Filter markets by occupancy, price, and yield

Filter Iowa by occupancy, ADR, yield, rent gap, and property price, then compare markets side by side.

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Find the Best Airbnb Markets with Our Interactive Tool

Use our interactive Market Explorer to find the best places to start an Airbnb in Iowa. Compare multiple markets side by side, apply filters like regulations, budget (property or rent prices), and market size, and even export the results to Excel.

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Why Invest in Airbnb Iowa in 2026?

The highest-graded short-term rental markets in Iowa are Des Moines-West Des Moines. The table ranks every tracked market by Airbtics Market Grade. Occupancy, average daily rate, annual revenue, yield, and revenue growth are the figures behind that grade.

Top 3 Airbnb markets in Iowa by Market Grade

These are the three highest-graded Airbnb markets in Iowa. Market Grade compares yield, revenue growth, and occupancy (demand) with the other markets on this page, then adjusts for short-term rental regulation. The chart repeats those three percentiles in text so the ranking is readable without the graphic.

Rank 1 — Des Moines-West Des Moines (Grade B)

Des Moines-West Des Moines is rank 1 of 1 markets in this Iowa ranking by Airbtics Market Grade B, with 17.3% short-term rental yield, 57.0% occupancy, and +13.0% year-over-year revenue growth.

The market shows an average daily rate of $163, annual revenue of $35,592, a rent gap of 2789.8%, 1,127 active listings, lenient short-term rental regulation, and a typical 2-bedroom property price of $200,000.

Market gradeB
Yield17.3%
Revenue growth+13.0%
Occupancy57.0%
Average daily rate$163
Annual revenue$35,592
Rent gap2789.8%
Active listings1,127
2-bedroom price$200,000
RegulationLenient

Market Rankboard: Iowa

Each dot is a vacation rental market in Iowa, plotted by occupancy rate (x-axis) and average daily rate (ADR) (y-axis). Dashed lines mark the national median.

Iowa Airbnb markets rankboard scatter chart showing occupancy rate versus average daily rate (ADR)

Occupancy rate and average daily rate for each Iowa market plotted in the chart above, in Market Grade order.
Market	Occupancy rate	Average daily rate
Des Moines-West Des Moines	57.0%	$163

Compare property prices, short-term rental yield, rent gap, annual revenue, and supply growth in the Airbtics Market Explorer watchlist.

See all Airbnb markets in Iowa

Browse all 1 markets we track in Iowa. Each link opens the market's Airbnb revenue and performance data page.

Des Moines-West Des Moines

Iowa Airbnb market FAQs

What are the best Airbnb markets in Iowa?
Airbtics ranks short-term rental markets in Iowa by Market Grade. The grade compares yield (annual revenue divided by property price), year-over-year revenue growth, and occupancy, then adjusts for regulation. The highest-graded market in this dataset is Des Moines-West Des Moines. The main table lists markets in that order; use the Market Explorer to filter by budget, regulations, and more.
How many Airbnb markets does Airbtics track in Iowa?
We currently analyze 1 active short-term rental markets in Iowa with listing supply, median occupancy, ADR, and revenue estimates.
What is the average Airbnb occupancy rate in Iowa?
The national average occupancy rate across tracked markets is 57.00% (LTM). Rates differ by city. Use the rankboard on this page, or open a market page for that city's numbers.
How do I compare Airbnb markets in Iowa?
Use the occupancy vs ADR rankboard on this page for a quick view, or open the Market Explorer to compare markets side by side, change chart axes, export to Excel, and save markets to a watchlist.
How can I estimate Airbnb income in Iowa?
Use our Airbnb income calculator to estimate revenue for a specific address, or open any market link below for median revenue and occupancy benchmarks.

For short-term rental market analysis, visit our Airbnb Analytics app.

Estimate Your Airbnb Income in Iowa

Ready to start looking for the most profitable short-term rental investment opportunities in Iowa?

Use our Airbnb calculator to quickly and accurately estimate the earning and profitability potential of any city, neighborhood, and area.

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For trends, supply, and year-over-year changes, see the 2025 short-term rental report for Iowa.