NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Metro Market Score 55.5 (Challenging), ranked #252 of 330 metros. 1,247 establishments, 5,667 jobs.

Metro Market Score 55.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market

Des Moines-West Des Moines scores 55.5 on the Metro Market Score for real estate and rental and leasing, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

65.8

LQ: 0.90

Rank #217 of 330 metros

Wage Competitiveness

86.7

$71,097 avg wage

Growth Trend

52.1

Employment growth index

Rank #159 of 330 metros

Wage Pressure

15.3

YoY wage change index

1,247 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Firms in Des Moines-West Des Moines

1,247

Establishments

+4.1% YoY

5,667

Total Employment

+0.9% YoY

$71,097

Average Annual Wage

+2.3% YoY

0.90

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Iowa

#7 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

+15.5

worse than median (40.0)

Des Moines-West Des Moines 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	Des Moines-West Des Moines	IA Statewide
Overall Score	55.5 Challenging	35.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#252 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines

Accommodation and Food Services 33.8 Retail Trade 34.7 Information 51.6 Construction 52.9 Other Services 53.0 Finance and Insurance 60.0

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 Ames 43.1 #170/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Des Moines-West Des Moines's 55.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC 55.5 #253/330 Oklahoma City, OK 55.2 #251/330 Port St. Lucie, FL 56.0 #254/330 Stockton-Lodi, CA 56.1 #255/330 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 55.0 #250/330 Columbus, OH 54.8 #249/330 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 56.4 #256/330 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 56.6 #257/330 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 56.7 #258/330 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 56.7 #259/330

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 Des Moines-West Des Moines's real estate and rental and leasing sector, the wage competitiveness component (86.7) 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