NAICS 23

Construction in Cedar Rapids, IA

Metro Market Score 49.8 (Challenging), ranked #190 of 342 metros. 763 establishments, 8,848 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Cedar Rapids pairs above-average construction concentration (73.4) with positive employment growth (trend: 64.3). The market is competitive but still expanding, leaving room for well-positioned new entrants.

Industry Concentration

73.4

LQ: 1.22

Rank #251 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

57.6

$73,989 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 64.3

Employment growth index

Rank #123 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

31.6

YoY wage change index

763 Construction Firms in Cedar Rapids

763

Establishments

-1.2% YoY

8,848

Total Employment

+3.8% YoY

$73,989

Average Annual Wage

+3.5% YoY

1.22

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Iowa

#5 of 8

construction metros in state

Iowa state rank

#7 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (49.8)

Cedar Rapids vs Iowa Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Iowa overall. The state ranks #7/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Cedar Rapids	IA Statewide
Overall Score	49.8 Challenging	34.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#190 of 342 metros	#7 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 Cedar Rapids

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 26.2 Accommodation and Food Services 34.4 Retail Trade 45.2 Other Services 57.9 Information 70.9 Finance and Insurance 75.8

Construction in Other Iowa Metros

Ames 25.8 #20/342 Iowa City 29.9 #41/342 Waterloo-Cedar Falls 37.4 #81/342 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 48.8 #178/342 Dubuque 52.1 #215/342 Des Moines-West Des Moines 52.9 #225/342 Sioux City 63.4 #302/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Cedar Rapids's 49.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Akron, OH 49.8 #188/342 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 49.8 #189/342 Champaign-Urbana, IL 49.7 #187/342 Lexington-Fayette, KY 49.6 #186/342 Binghamton, NY 50.0 #191/342 Boise City, ID 50.0 #192/342 Decatur, IL 50.0 #193/342 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 50.0 #194/342 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ 50.1 #195/342 Niles, MI 50.1 #196/342

Construction in States Bordering Iowa

State-level entry risk for construction in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Wisconsin 25.1 #1/51 Nebraska 32.5 #5/51 South Dakota 34.7 #9/51 Minnesota 37.3 #14/51 Illinois 49.1 #34/51 Missouri 54.6 #43/51

Browse Construction in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for construction 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 Cedar Rapids's construction sector, the industry concentration component (73.4) 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 Cedar Rapids, IA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment