NAICS 81

Other Services in Ames, IA

Metro Market Score 31.0 (Favorable), ranked #31 of 332 metros. 275 establishments, 1,317 jobs.

Metro Market Score 31.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national other services average.

📈Rapid Growth🌱Emerging Market

Ames ranks in the top 10% for other services market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 31.0, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

16.6

LQ: 0.77

Rank #55 of 332 metros

Wage Competitiveness

69.9

$48,228 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 99.1

Employment growth index

Rank #4 of 332 metros

Wage Pressure

45.4

YoY wage change index

275 Other Services Firms in Ames

275

Establishments

+22.8% YoY

1,317

Total Employment

+21.8% YoY

$48,228

Average Annual Wage

+2.0% YoY

0.77

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Iowa

#1 of 8

other services metros in state

Iowa state rank

#3 of 51

for other services entry risk

vs State Median

-19.6

better than median (50.5)

Ames vs Iowa Statewide

How this metro's other services market compares to Iowa overall. The state ranks #3/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Ames	IA Statewide
Overall Score	31.0 Favorable	32.5 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#31 of 332 metros	#3 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 Information 39.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 43.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 46.9

Other Services in Other Iowa Metros

Iowa City 32.9 #40/332 Dubuque 36.9 #60/332 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 49.8 #158/332 Sioux City 50.5 #163/332 Des Moines-West Des Moines 53.0 #192/332 Cedar Rapids 57.9 #230/332 Waterloo-Cedar Falls 67.9 #300/332

Other Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Ames's 31.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Hanford-Corcoran, CA 31.1 #32/332 Fond du Lac, WI 31.2 #33/332 Bay City, MI 30.8 #30/332 Vineland, NJ 30.4 #29/332 Winston-Salem, NC 31.6 #34/332 Yuma, AZ 30.3 #28/332 State College, PA 30.2 #27/332 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 30.1 #26/332 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 30.1 #25/332 Pueblo, CO 30.1 #24/332

Other Services in States Bordering Iowa

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

South Dakota 28.9 #1/51 Nebraska 30.5 #2/51 Minnesota 38.1 #12/51 Wisconsin 39.3 #16/51 Missouri 47.4 #33/51 Illinois 50.5 #39/51

Browse Other Services in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for other services 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 other services sector, the wage competitiveness component (69.9) 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