NAICS 56

Administrative and Support Services in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

Metro Market Score 34.3 (Favorable), ranked #33 of 267 metros. 309 establishments, 3,180 jobs.

Metro Market Score 34.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

🌱Emerging Market

Employment in Waterloo-Cedar Falls's administrative and support services sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 70.0. Combined with a 34.3 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

27.3

LQ: 0.64

Rank #73 of 267 metros

Wage Competitiveness

32.2

$44,467 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 70.0

Employment growth index

Rank #81 of 267 metros

Wage Pressure

51.9

YoY wage change index

309 Administrative and Support Services Firms in Waterloo-Cedar Falls

309

Establishments

+1.0% YoY

3,180

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$44,467

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

0.64

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Iowa

#2 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

-17.1

better than median (51.4)

Waterloo-Cedar Falls 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	Waterloo-Cedar Falls	IA Statewide
Overall Score	34.3 Favorable	22.1 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#33 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls

Accommodation and Food Services 32.7 Construction 37.4 Information 48.5 Retail Trade 51.3 Other Services 67.9

Administrative and Support Services in Other Iowa Metros

Ames 27.4 #12/267 Dubuque 48.2 #107/267 Iowa City 51.4 #121/267 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls's 34.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Fresno, CA 34.7 #34/267 Reading, PA 33.7 #32/267 Lawrence, KS 33.7 #31/267 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT 35.0 #35/267 Fond du Lac, WI 33.5 #30/267 Hinesville, GA 33.4 #29/267 Salem, OR 33.2 #28/267 Helena, MT 35.6 #36/267 Casper, WY 35.7 #37/267 Cheyenne, WY 32.8 #27/267

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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls's administrative and support services sector, the wage pressure component (51.9) 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment