NAICS 23

Construction in Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA

Metro Market Score 48.8 (Challenging), ranked #178 of 342 metros. 907 establishments, 10,602 jobs.

Metro Market Score 48.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Davenport-Moline-Rock Island's construction sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 84.8. Combined with a 48.8 market score, this metro sits in the lower half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

69.6

LQ: 1.14

Rank #238 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

78.1

$79,956 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 84.8

Employment growth index

Rank #53 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

36.6

YoY wage change index

907 Construction Firms in Davenport-Moline-Rock Island

907

Establishments

-1.2% YoY

10,602

Total Employment

+7.3% YoY

$79,956

Average Annual Wage

+5.6% YoY

1.14

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Iowa

#4 of 8

construction metros in state

Iowa state rank

#7 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-0.9

better than median (49.8)

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island vs Iowa Statewide

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

Measure	Davenport-Moline-Rock Island	IA Statewide
Overall Score	48.8 Challenging	34.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#178 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 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island

Information 29.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 33.0 Other Services 49.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 52.1 Finance and Insurance 52.8 Accommodation and Food Services 57.3 Retail Trade 60.0 Administrative and Support Services 68.8

Construction in Other Iowa Metros

Ames 25.8 #20/342 Iowa City 29.9 #41/342 Waterloo-Cedar Falls 37.4 #81/342 Cedar Rapids 49.8 #190/342 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 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island's 48.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Helena, MT 48.8 #177/342 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 49.1 #179/342 Sioux Falls, SD 49.1 #180/342 Lake Charles, LA 49.1 #181/342 Jacksonville, FL 49.2 #182/342 Fayetteville, NC 49.2 #183/342 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN 48.4 #176/342 Sebring, FL 49.2 #184/342 Lewiston, ID 48.3 #175/342 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 49.4 #185/342

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 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (78.1) 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 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment