NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Iowa City, IA

Metro Market Score 42.0 (Moderate), ranked #56 of 378 metros. 580 establishments, 10,311 jobs.

Metro Market Score 42.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

⚡Rising Wages

At #56 of 378 metros, Iowa City's retail trade sector scores 42.0 on the market index. Concentration (46.3), wage levels (14.0), and growth (57.4) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

46.3

LQ: 1.12

Rank #175 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

14.0

$34,056 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 57.4

Employment growth index

Rank #162 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

70.5

YoY wage change index

580 Retail Trade Firms in Iowa City

580

Establishments

-0.5% YoY

10,311

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$34,056

Average Annual Wage

+1.7% YoY

1.12

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Iowa

#4 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Iowa state rank

#16 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-3.2

better than median (45.2)

Iowa City vs Iowa Statewide

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

Measure	Iowa City	IA Statewide
Overall Score	42.0 Moderate	40.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#56 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 Iowa City

Construction 29.9 Information 30.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 31.1 Other Services 32.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 40.0 Accommodation and Food Services 44.5 Administrative and Support Services 51.4 Finance and Insurance 59.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62.9

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 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 Iowa City's 42.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Trenton-Princeton, NJ 42.0 #57/378 Gadsden, AL 41.9 #55/378 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 42.1 #58/378 Lawrence, KS 42.2 #59/378 Peoria, IL 42.4 #60/378 Wilmington, NC 42.4 #61/378 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 42.4 #62/378 Pittsburgh, PA 42.5 #63/378 Fargo, ND 42.5 #64/378 St. Joseph, MO 41.3 #54/378

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 Iowa City's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (70.5) 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 Iowa City, IA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment