Which metro areas in Iowa are adding jobs fastest?
Ames, IA (+26.5%), Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (+11.4%) and Omaha, NE-IA (+7.6%) added private-sector jobs fastest among Iowa metro areas between 2018 and 2023.
Data as of 2023 · updated
All 8 ranked Iowa metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Change 2018–23 | Jobs added | Private jobs 2023 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames, IA | +26.5% | +8,390 | 39,997 | 128,090 |
| 2 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | +11.4% | +37,371 | 364,757 | 758,539 |
| 3 | Omaha, NE-IA | +7.6% | +32,287 | 455,764 | 1,009,836 |
| 4 | Iowa City, IA | +3.4% | +2,498 | 75,439 | 182,711 |
| 5 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | +1.9% | +3,050 | 166,095 | 380,452 |
| 6 | Cedar Rapids, IA | +0.7% | +904 | 128,088 | 279,285 |
| 7 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | −0.8% | −640 | 74,813 | 169,189 |
| 8 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | −14.0% | −11,218 | 68,688 | 145,738 |
How this is ranked
The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
Get the report for any Iowa county — $99
The County Growth and Demographics Report for any county as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.
Every purchase also includes a CSV of every table in the report, ready for a spreadsheet.
- Not useful? Email us within 14 days for a full refund
- Sold by Simply Stats LLC (NC)
- Secure Stripe checkout (Apple Pay/Google Pay)
- Instant PDF download
- PDF + CSV of every table
Refund terms: Terms. · How we compute every number
Questions
Which metro area in Iowa has the fastest job growth?
Ames, IA: +26.5%, ahead of Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (+11.4%) and Omaha, NE-IA (+7.6%), of 8 Iowa metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.