NAICS 23

Construction in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Metro Market Score 52.9 (Challenging), ranked #225 of 342 metros. 2,120 establishments, 25,540 jobs.

Metro Market Score 52.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

Des Moines-West Des Moines pairs above-average construction concentration (72.8) with positive employment growth (trend: 71.9). The market is competitive but still expanding, leaving room for well-positioned new entrants.

Industry Concentration

72.8

LQ: 1.20

Rank #249 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

76.3

$79,343 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 71.9

Employment growth index

Rank #97 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

36.2

YoY wage change index

2,120 Construction Firms in Des Moines-West Des Moines

2,120

Establishments

+4.7% YoY

25,540

Total Employment

+4.5% YoY

$79,343

Average Annual Wage

+5.4% YoY

1.20

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Iowa

#7 of 8

construction metros in state

Iowa state rank

#7 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+3.2

worse than median (49.8)

Des Moines-West Des Moines vs Iowa Statewide

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

Measure	Des Moines-West Des Moines	IA Statewide
Overall Score	52.9 Challenging	34.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#225 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines

Accommodation and Food Services 33.8 Retail Trade 34.7 Information 51.6 Other Services 53.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 55.5 Finance and Insurance 60.0

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 Cedar Rapids 49.8 #190/342 Dubuque 52.1 #215/342 Sioux City 63.4 #302/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Des Moines-West Des Moines's 52.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Naples-Marco Island, FL 52.9 #224/342 Charlottesville, VA 52.9 #223/342 Reno, NV 52.8 #222/342 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 53.0 #226/342 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 53.0 #227/342 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY 53.2 #228/342 Birmingham, AL 52.6 #221/342 Topeka, KS 52.6 #220/342 Coeur d'Alene, ID 52.6 #219/342 Gettysburg, PA 53.4 #229/342

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 Des Moines-West Des Moines's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (76.3) 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment