With 3.21 million residents, Iowa ranks 31st among the 51 states (with the District of Columbia). Census figures on income, housing, education and the local business mix, and what they imply for a business advertising here.
Across Iowa there are 8 metropolitan areas with their own profiles on this site; Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is the largest at 731,120 residents.
Owner-occupied homes carry a median value of $208,000, 37 percent below the national figure; the national comparison point is $332,700. Households here bring in a median of $75,059, 7 percent below the national figure.
Unemployment 3.6%, 2 points below the US share. 31.4% of adults over 25 hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 4 points below the US share. Median age 38.6, about the same as the national median. Homeownership is 71.7% here, 6 points above the US share; that is the pool of people who hire roofers, plumbers and landscapers rather than calling a landlord.
How does that compare with its largest metro? Income in Iowa is 13 percent lower than the Des Moines metro figure, the median home value is 22 percent lower than the Des Moines metro figure, and business density is about the same as the Des Moines metro figure; the full numbers are on the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA page.
The business base: 83,321 establishments with employees. That is 26 establishments per 1,000 people, 4 percent above the national figure. The home-services trades that most often advertise locally number 4,513 establishments, a 5.4% share, about the same as the US share.
| Trade | Establishments | Per 100,000 residents | vs US mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete foundation and structure contractors | 559 | 17.4 | 2.40× |
| Highway, street and bridge construction | 148 | 4.6 | 1.60× |
| Automobile dealers | 651 | 20.3 | 1.39× |
| General freight trucking | 1,617 | 50.4 | 1.38× |
| General automotive repair | 1,085 | 33.8 | 1.28× |
| Roofing contractors | 289 | 9 | 1.14× |
| Electrical contractors | 902 | 28.1 | 1.09× |
| Child day care services | 895 | 27.9 | 1.09× |
| Landscaping services | 1,242 | 38.7 | 1.06× |
| Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors | 1,108 | 34.5 | 1.00× |
| Other specialty trade contractors (paving, asphalt, fencing) | 413 | 12.9 | 0.97× |
| Beauty salons | 796 | 24.8 | 0.95× |
| Lessors of real estate (all) | 1,249 | 38.9 | 0.92× |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 5,367 | 167.2 | 0.87× |
| Dentists | 1,030 | 32.1 | 0.76× |
| Legal services | 1,363 | 42.5 | 0.76× |
| Personal care services (all) | 1,222 | 38.1 | 0.76× |
| Grocery and convenience retailers | 727 | 22.6 | 0.73× |
| Physicians' offices | 1,099 | 34.2 | 0.51× |
| Self-storage facilities | 82 | 2.6 | 0.44× |
Reading the index: 1.00 matches the national mix, 1.50 means half again as common here, 0.50 half as common.
Against the US mix, concrete contractors, road and paving contractors, automobile dealers and general freight trucking are over-represented. Concrete contractors lead at 559 establishments, 2.4 times the US share. Thinner than the national mix are self-storage operators, physicians' offices, grocery stores and dentists. Self-storage operators are the thinnest at 82, about 44% of the national share. Plumbing and HVAC contractors, roofing contractors and electrical contractors sit near their national proportions.
Scaled to residents, restaurants run 167.2 per 100,000, more than general freight trucking or legal services. Counted by establishments, the order is restaurants (5,367), general freight trucking (1,617), legal services (1,363). The group picture: automotive businesses above the national pattern at 1.3 times, medical and dental practices below it at about 60% of.
In concrete contractors, road and paving contractors and automobile dealers the question is not whether to advertise but how narrowly: the tighter the keywords, the towns and the offer, the less is wasted against the crowd. With self-storage operators, physicians' offices and grocery stores in short supply, the map pack often has room; a complete listing and a handful of recent reviews can put a business in it. High homeownership (71.7%) means a large pool of people who pay for their own repairs, replacements and yard work, which favors the home-services trades in this market. The population is younger than the national median (about the same as the national median), which raises the value of Instagram, streaming and AI-answer visibility next to search.
Six places to begin in Iowa; the complete list is one click away.
Keeping the Business Profile complete, current and answered so it earns the map placement.
Organic visibility for the searches that do not need an ad to win.
A fast site with the services, the area served and a clear way to call or book.
A steady flow of new reviews and a reply on every one of them.
A site assistant that answers questions and captures the lead at any hour.
Paid search that shows up when someone in Iowa is ready to call, not just browsing.
A short call, a free audit of your current listing and site, and a plan built on what actually competes in this market.
Data: US Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year estimates and County Business Patterns 2023.