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 Assessment

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

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

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

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.