NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Cedar Rapids, IA

Metro Market Score 45.2 (Moderate), ranked #86 of 378 metros. 843 establishments, 14,011 jobs.

Metro Market Score 45.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

⚡Rising Wages

At #86 of 378 metros, Cedar Rapids's retail trade sector scores 45.2 on the market index. Concentration (21.7), wage levels (35.7), and growth (44.2) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

21.7

LQ: 1.01

Rank #82 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

35.7

$36,289 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 44.2

Employment growth index

Rank #212 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

70.5

YoY wage change index

843 Retail Trade Firms in Cedar Rapids

843

Establishments

+1.3% YoY

14,011

Total Employment

-0.5% YoY

$36,289

Average Annual Wage

+1.7% YoY

1.01

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Iowa

#5 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Iowa state rank

#16 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (45.2)

Cedar Rapids vs Iowa Statewide

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

Measure	Cedar Rapids	IA Statewide
Overall Score	45.2 Moderate	40.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#86 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 Cedar Rapids

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 26.2 Accommodation and Food Services 34.4 Construction 49.8 Other Services 57.9 Information 70.9 Finance and Insurance 75.8

Retail Trade in Other Iowa Metros

Ames 28.5 #7/378 Dubuque 34.4 #20/378 Des Moines-West Des Moines 34.7 #23/378 Iowa City 42.0 #56/378 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 Cedar Rapids's 45.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Toledo, OH 45.2 #85/378 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 45.2 #84/378 Goldsboro, NC 45.0 #83/378 Roanoke, VA 44.9 #82/378 Eau Claire, WI 45.5 #87/378 Huntsville, AL 44.8 #81/378 Eagle Pass, TX 45.7 #88/378 Lexington Park, MD 45.8 #89/378 Gettysburg, PA 44.5 #80/378 Madison, WI 45.9 #90/378

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 Cedar Rapids's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (55.8) 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 Cedar Rapids, IA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment