NAICS 56

Administrative and Support Services in Iowa City, IA

Metro Market Score 51.4 (Challenging), ranked #121 of 267 metros. 353 establishments, 2,328 jobs.

Metro Market Score 51.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national administrative and support services average.

Iowa City stands out for high administrative and support services labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 74.9 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 56.5 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

5.2

LQ: 0.43

Rank #14 of 267 metros

Wage Competitiveness

74.9

$53,895 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 33.3

Employment growth index

Rank #179 of 267 metros

Wage Pressure

56.5

YoY wage change index

353 Administrative and Support Services Firms in Iowa City

353

Establishments

+6.0% YoY

2,328

Total Employment

-4.3% YoY

$53,895

Average Annual Wage

+2.8% YoY

0.43

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Iowa

#4 of 6

administrative and support services metros in state

Iowa state rank

#3 of 51

for administrative and support services entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (51.4)

Iowa City vs Iowa Statewide

How this metro's administrative and support services market compares to Iowa overall. The state ranks #3/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Iowa City	IA Statewide
Overall Score	51.4 Challenging	22.1 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#121 of 267 metros	#3 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Iowa City

Construction 29.9 Information 30.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 31.1 Other Services 32.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 40.0 Retail Trade 42.0 Accommodation and Food Services 44.5 Finance and Insurance 59.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62.9

Administrative and Support Services in Other Iowa Metros

Ames 27.4 #12/267 Waterloo-Cedar Falls 34.3 #33/267 Dubuque 48.2 #107/267 Sioux City 62.2 #207/267 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 68.8 #239/267

Administrative and Support Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Iowa City's 51.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Battle Creek, MI 51.5 #122/267 Salinas, CA 51.2 #120/267 Sherman-Denison, TX 51.5 #123/267 Michigan City-La Porte, IN 51.5 #124/267 Lake Charles, LA 51.6 #125/267 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA 51.7 #126/267 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 51.0 #119/267 Corpus Christi, TX 51.8 #127/267 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 51.8 #128/267 Fairbanks-College, AK 51.9 #129/267

Administrative and Support Services in States Bordering Iowa

State-level entry risk for administrative and support services in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Nebraska 21.4 #1/51 South Dakota 21.7 #2/51 Wisconsin 25.2 #5/51 Minnesota 34.2 #15/51 Missouri 43.8 #39/51 Illinois 50.5 #46/51

Browse Administrative and Support Services in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for administrative and support services across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Iowa City's administrative and support services sector, the employment growth component (66.7) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Iowa City, IA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment