NAICS 51

Information in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Metro Market Score 51.6 (Challenging), ranked #198 of 294 metros. 791 establishments, 6,046 jobs.

Metro Market Score 51.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth

Des Moines-West Des Moines pairs above-average information concentration (85.4) with positive employment growth (trend: 77.9). The market is competitive but still expanding, leaving room for well-positioned new entrants.

Industry Concentration

85.4

LQ: 0.80

Rank #251 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

75.8

$99,346 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 77.9

Employment growth index

Rank #66 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

23.4

YoY wage change index

791 Information Firms in Des Moines-West Des Moines

791

Establishments

+8.5% YoY

6,046

Total Employment

+1.0% YoY

$99,346

Average Annual Wage

+6.7% YoY

0.80

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Iowa

#6 of 8

information metros in state

Iowa state rank

#15 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+0.6

worse than median (51.0)

Des Moines-West Des Moines vs Iowa Statewide

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

Measure	Des Moines-West Des Moines	IA Statewide
Overall Score	51.6 Challenging	38.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#198 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines

Accommodation and Food Services 33.8 Retail Trade 34.7 Construction 52.9 Other Services 53.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 55.5 Finance and Insurance 60.0

Information in Other Iowa Metros

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 29.5 #56/294 Iowa City 30.0 #60/294 Ames 39.9 #114/294 Waterloo-Cedar Falls 48.5 #182/294 Sioux City 51.0 #196/294 Dubuque 58.5 #228/294 Cedar Rapids 70.9 #279/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Des Moines-West Des Moines's 51.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Cleveland, OH 51.7 #199/294 Dover, DE 51.8 #200/294 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 51.9 #201/294 Chattanooga, TN 51.3 #197/294 Longview-Kelso, WA 52.2 #202/294 Sioux City, IA 51.0 #196/294 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 51.0 #195/294 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 50.6 #194/294 Coeur d'Alene, ID 50.4 #193/294 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC 52.8 #203/294

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 Des Moines-West Des Moines's information sector, the industry concentration component (85.4) 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