NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Ames, IA

Metro Market Score 43.1 (Moderate), ranked #170 of 330 metros. 182 establishments, 952 jobs.

Metro Market Score 43.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national real estate and rental and leasing average.

📈Rapid Growth

Ames ranks in the lower half for real estate and rental and leasing market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 43.1, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

84.8

LQ: 1.09

Rank #280 of 330 metros

Wage Competitiveness

56.7

$57,062 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 86.1

Employment growth index

Rank #47 of 330 metros

Wage Pressure

17.6

YoY wage change index

182 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Firms in Ames

182

Establishments

+18.2% YoY

952

Total Employment

+6.0% YoY

$57,062

Average Annual Wage

+4.0% YoY

1.09

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Iowa

#6 of 7

real estate and rental and leasing metros in state

Iowa state rank

#16 of 51

for real estate and rental and leasing entry risk

vs State Median

+3.1

worse than median (40.0)

Ames vs Iowa Statewide

How this metro's real estate and rental and leasing market compares to Iowa overall. The state ranks #16/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Ames	IA Statewide
Overall Score	43.1 Moderate	35.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#170 of 330 metros	#16 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 Information 39.9 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 46.9

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other Iowa Metros

Cedar Rapids 26.2 #49/330 Sioux City 29.5 #63/330 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 33.0 #85/330 Iowa City 40.0 #136/330 Dubuque 41.3 #154/330 Des Moines-West Des Moines 55.5 #252/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Ames's 43.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Killeen-Temple, TX 43.0 #169/330 Weirton-Steubenville, WV 43.0 #168/330 Abilene, TX 42.9 #167/330 Redding, CA 43.3 #171/330 Bloomington, IL 43.4 #172/330 Elmira, NY 43.5 #173/330 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA 42.6 #166/330 Longview, TX 42.6 #165/330 Columbia, MO 42.4 #164/330 Grand Island, NE 42.3 #163/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in States Bordering Iowa

State-level entry risk for real estate and rental and leasing in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Wisconsin 26.0 #2/51 Nebraska 26.3 #3/51 South Dakota 26.4 #4/51 Missouri 39.2 #25/51 Minnesota 42.1 #31/51 Illinois 44.3 #33/51

Browse Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for real estate and rental and leasing 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 real estate and rental and leasing sector, the industry concentration component (84.8) 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