NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Dubuque, IA

Metro Market Score 34.4 (Favorable), ranked #20 of 378 metros. 389 establishments, 6,447 jobs.

Metro Market Score 34.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Dubuque's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 78.3. Combined with a 34.4 market score, this metro sits in the top 10% for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

43.4

LQ: 1.11

Rank #164 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

14.3

$34,130 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 78.3

Employment growth index

Rank #83 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

67.4

YoY wage change index

389 Retail Trade Firms in Dubuque

389

Establishments

-1.3% YoY

6,447

Total Employment

+1.0% YoY

$34,130

Average Annual Wage

+1.1% YoY

1.11

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Iowa

#2 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Iowa state rank

#16 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-10.8

better than median (45.2)

Dubuque vs Iowa Statewide

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

Measure	Dubuque	IA Statewide
Overall Score	34.4 Favorable	40.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#20 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 Dubuque

Accommodation and Food Services 24.7 Other Services 36.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 41.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 45.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.7 Administrative and Support Services 48.2 Construction 52.1 Information 58.5 Finance and Insurance 60.1

Retail Trade in Other Iowa Metros

Ames 28.5 #7/378 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 Dubuque's 34.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Ithaca, NY 34.3 #19/378 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 34.2 #18/378 Wausau, WI 34.6 #21/378 Laredo, TX 34.6 #22/378 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 34.7 #23/378 Spartanburg, SC 34.1 #17/378 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI 34.8 #24/378 Monroe, LA 34.0 #16/378 Jackson, MS 34.9 #25/378 Topeka, KS 35.1 #26/378

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 Dubuque's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (67.4) 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 Dubuque, IA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment