NAICS 51

Information in Ames, IA

Metro Market Score 39.9 (Moderate), ranked #114 of 294 metros. 116 establishments, 729 jobs.

Metro Market Score 39.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

📈Rapid Growth

Ames ranks in the upper half for information market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 39.9, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

77.5

LQ: 0.69

Rank #228 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

69.0

$90,754 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 99.7

Employment growth index

Rank #2 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

15.7

YoY wage change index

116 Information Firms in Ames

116

Establishments

+16.0% YoY

729

Total Employment

+34.0% YoY

$90,754

Average Annual Wage

-2.0% YoY

0.69

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Iowa

#3 of 8

information metros in state

Iowa state rank

#15 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

-11.1

better than median (51.0)

Ames vs Iowa Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Iowa overall. The state ranks #15/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Ames	IA Statewide
Overall Score	39.9 Moderate	38.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#114 of 294 metros	#15 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 Ames

Healthcare and Social Assistance 8.1 Finance and Insurance 24.0 Construction 25.8 Accommodation and Food Services 26.3 Administrative and Support Services 27.4 Retail Trade 28.5 Other Services 31.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 43.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 46.9

Information in Other Iowa Metros

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 29.5 #56/294 Iowa City 30.0 #60/294 Waterloo-Cedar Falls 48.5 #182/294 Sioux City 51.0 #196/294 Des Moines-West Des Moines 51.6 #198/294 Dubuque 58.5 #228/294 Cedar Rapids 70.9 #279/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Ames's 39.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Canton-Massillon, OH 40.0 #115/294 Casper, WY 40.1 #116/294 Beckley, WV 39.6 #113/294 Sebring, FL 39.6 #112/294 St. George, UT 39.6 #111/294 Stockton-Lodi, CA 40.2 #117/294 Lewiston, ID 40.2 #118/294 Huntsville, AL 39.3 #110/294 Wichita, KS 39.3 #109/294 Idaho Falls, ID 39.2 #108/294

Information in States Bordering Iowa

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

South Dakota 33.6 #8/51 Missouri 36.8 #10/51 Nebraska 37.8 #13/51 Wisconsin 38.1 #14/51 Minnesota 42.6 #22/51 Illinois 48.5 #38/51

Browse Information in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for information 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 Ames's information sector, the industry concentration component (77.5) 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 Ames, IA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment