NAICS 51

Information in Iowa City, IA

Metro Market Score 30.0 (Favorable), ranked #60 of 294 metros. 199 establishments, 635 jobs.

Metro Market Score 30.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Iowa City's information sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 83.7. Combined with a 30.0 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

32.6

LQ: 0.37

Rank #96 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

53.1

$79,112 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 83.7

Employment growth index

Rank #49 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

18.4

YoY wage change index

199 Information Firms in Iowa City

199

Establishments

+4.7% YoY

635

Total Employment

+2.8% YoY

$79,112

Average Annual Wage

+1.1% YoY

0.37

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Iowa

#2 of 8

information metros in state

Iowa state rank

#15 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

-21.0

better than median (51.0)

Iowa City vs Iowa Statewide

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

Measure	Iowa City	IA Statewide
Overall Score	30.0 Favorable	38.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#60 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 Iowa City

Construction 29.9 Healthcare and Social Assistance 31.1 Other Services 32.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 40.0 Retail Trade 42.0 Accommodation and Food Services 44.5 Administrative and Support Services 51.4 Finance and Insurance 59.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62.9

Information in Other Iowa Metros

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 29.5 #56/294 Ames 39.9 #114/294 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 Iowa City's 30.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Yakima, WA 30.0 #61/294 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 29.9 #59/294 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 29.8 #58/294 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 29.5 #57/294 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA 29.5 #56/294 Williamsport, PA 30.8 #62/294 Ocala, FL 30.8 #63/294 Duluth, MN 30.9 #64/294 Kennewick-Richland, WA 31.1 #65/294 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 28.8 #55/294

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 Iowa City's information sector, the wage competitiveness component (53.1) 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 Iowa City, IA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment