NAICS 23

Construction in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

Metro Market Score 37.4 (Moderate), ranked #81 of 342 metros. 366 establishments, 3,691 jobs.

Metro Market Score 37.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Waterloo-Cedar Falls's construction market sits near the national metro median, ranking #81 of 342 with a market score of 37.4. No single metric stands out as an outlier, which means entry conditions depend more on your specific business model than on broad market forces.

Industry Concentration

27.2

LQ: 0.83

Rank #93 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

36.3

$69,566 avg wage

Growth Trend

45.0

Employment growth index

Rank #189 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

25.2

YoY wage change index

366 Construction Firms in Waterloo-Cedar Falls

366

Establishments

-0.3% YoY

3,691

Total Employment

+1.1% YoY

$69,566

Average Annual Wage

+0.9% YoY

0.83

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Iowa

#3 of 8

construction metros in state

Iowa state rank

#7 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-12.4

better than median (49.8)

Waterloo-Cedar Falls vs Iowa Statewide

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

Measure	Waterloo-Cedar Falls	IA Statewide
Overall Score	37.4 Moderate	34.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#81 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls

Accommodation and Food Services 32.7 Administrative and Support Services 34.3 Information 48.5 Retail Trade 51.3 Other Services 67.9

Construction in Other Iowa Metros

Ames 25.8 #20/342 Iowa City 29.9 #41/342 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 48.8 #178/342 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls's 37.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Fresno, CA 37.4 #80/342 Spartanburg, SC 37.5 #82/342 Bloomington, IN 37.2 #79/342 Jacksonville, NC 37.8 #83/342 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR 37.8 #84/342 Jackson, MI 36.9 #78/342 Wheeling, WV 38.0 #85/342 Hot Springs, AR 36.8 #77/342 Grants Pass, OR 36.8 #76/342 Dover, DE 36.7 #75/342

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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls's construction sector, the employment growth component (55.0) 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