Iowa’s capital city was the most affordable place to live in a recent U.S. News & World Report roundup of livable cities. For 2016, total vacancy rates were just 5.2 percent, and although that metric is expected to inch up in 2017, it should still be below 6.0 percent. From 2016 to 2017 rental rates for three-bedroom apartments are expected to increase by 6.8 percent, compared to 2.6 percent the previous year.