NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Ames, IA

Metro Market Score 28.5 (Favorable), ranked #7 of 378 metros. 357 establishments, 6,232 jobs.

Metro Market Score 28.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national retail trade average.

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages✓Favorable Market

Ames ranks in the top 10% for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 28.5, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

40.2

LQ: 1.10

Rank #152 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

3.7

$32,572 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 98.9

Employment growth index

Rank #5 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

86.0

YoY wage change index

357 Retail Trade Firms in Ames

357

Establishments

+28.4% YoY

6,232

Total Employment

+19.6% YoY

$32,572

Average Annual Wage

+4.7% YoY

1.10

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Iowa

#1 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Iowa state rank

#16 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-16.7

better than median (45.2)

Ames vs Iowa Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Iowa overall. The state ranks #16/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Ames	IA Statewide
Overall Score	28.5 Favorable	40.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#7 of 378 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 Other Services 31.0 Information 39.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 43.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 46.9

Retail Trade in Other Iowa Metros

Dubuque 34.4 #20/378 Des Moines-West Des Moines 34.7 #23/378 Iowa City 42.0 #56/378 Cedar Rapids 45.2 #86/378 Waterloo-Cedar Falls 51.3 #155/378 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 60.0 #252/378 Sioux City 60.7 #264/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Ames's 28.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Manhattan, KS 26.3 #6/378 Columbus, GA 30.9 #8/378 Las Cruces, NM 26.0 #5/378 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 31.0 #9/378 Morgantown, WV 31.9 #10/378 Columbus, IN 24.9 #4/378 Champaign-Urbana, IL 24.9 #3/378 Gainesville, FL 24.8 #2/378 Rochester, MN 32.2 #11/378 Huntington-Ashland, WV 32.4 #12/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Iowa

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

Wisconsin 33.3 #1/51 Nebraska 35.9 #2/51 South Dakota 38.9 #7/51 Minnesota 39.6 #9/51 Illinois 48.1 #39/51 Missouri 50.6 #42/51

Browse Retail Trade in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for retail trade 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 retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (86.0) 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