Market rankings · Iowa
Bakeries and dessert shops in Iowa
Markets across Iowa ranked by the Groundwork market score for bakeries and dessert shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,058
- 278 chain locations (26%)
- Official establishments
- 831
- All snack bars and retail bakeries · +52.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $5.1B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 8.0
- 18% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $4.8M
- 16% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #21 of 51
- Market score 53 · Upper middle
A site report maps the bakeries and dessert shops on map listings around any address in Iowa by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,058 bakeries and dessert shops in Iowa. Of those, 278 are chain locations, or 26%, against 35% across the U.S. That comes to 8.0 for every 10,000 households, 18% below the U.S. rate of 9.8.
Household spending on food away from home in Iowa comes to about $5.1B a year: $3,880 per household, 5% below the U.S. average. That is about $4.8M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 16% above the U.S. figure of $4.1M. That spending covers all food away from home, which bakeries and dessert shops share with other businesses in the trade.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as snack bars and retail bakeries in Iowa was 831 in 2023, up 52.2% from 2019. That is one for every 1,583 households, against one for every 1,369 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 24.6% over the same years. The official count takes in all snack bars and retail bakeries, not only bakeries and dessert shops: coffee shops and cafes are counted too. Since fiscal 2022, 32 SBA-backed loans worth $10.2M have gone to businesses classed as snack bars and retail bakeries in Iowa.
Among the 50 states and DC, Iowa ranks #21 for bakeries and dessert shops, with a Groundwork market score of 53 (upper middle). Of the 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Iowa, the Omaha metro area scores highest (71). Of the 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in Iowa, the Muscatine area scores highest (66).
Every market in Iowa for bakeries and dessert shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Iowa, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE-IA | 71 | 304 | 7.8 | $5.4M | +4.2% | #31 of 387 |
| 1Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 70 | 249 | 8.4 | $5M | +6.7% | #41 of 387 |
| 2Ames, IA | 61 | 29 | 5.8 | $6.7M | +2.2% | #103 of 387 |
| 3Cedar Rapids, IA | 57 | 90 | 7.9 | $5M | +1.0% | #139 of 387 |
| 4Dubuque, IA | 50 | 33 | 8.1 | $4.9M | +0.1% | #195 of 387 |
| 5Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 48 | 46 | 8.3 | $4.6M | +1.0% | #210 of 387 |
| 6Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 47 | 131 | 8.1 | $4.7M | −0.9% | #221 of 387 |
| 7Iowa City, IA | 44 | 79 | 10.9 | $3.7M | +4.1% | #253 of 387 |
| 8Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 43 | 60 | 8.6 | $4.3M | +0.5% | #258 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Muscatine, IA | 66 | 10 | 5.8 | $6.4M | −3.0% | #81 of 507 |
| 2Oskaloosa, IA | 63 | 5 | 5.7 | $6.3M | −1.2% | #108 of 507 |
| 3Le Mars, IA | 60 | 9 | 8.7 | $4.6M | 0.0% | #147 of 507 |
| 4Storm Lake, IA | 59 | 6 | 8.0 | $4.8M | −1.7% | #159 of 507 |
| 5Fort Dodge, IA | 57 | 12 | 7.8 | $4.5M | −0.4% | #179 of 507 |
| 6Clinton, IA | 56 | 13 | 6.7 | $5.5M | −0.9% | #186 of 507 |
| 7Pella, IA | 55 | 12 | 9.0 | $4.4M | +2.3% | #204 of 507 |
| 8Fort Madison, IA | 52 | 8 | 5.6 | $6.1M | −3.6% | #229 of 507 |
| 9Marshalltown, IA | 48 | 14 | 9.0 | $4M | −0.5% | #277 of 507 |
| 10Ottumwa, IA | 44 | 11 | 7.9 | $4.4M | −0.3% | #313 of 507 |
| 11Burlington, IA-IL | 42 | 19 | 9.6 | $3.6M | −2.5% | #337 of 507 |
| 12Spirit Lake, IA | 38 | 12 | 13.6 | $2.9M | +1.7% | #381 of 507 |
| 13Mason City, IA | 32 | 25 | 11.0 | $3.4M | −1.5% | #434 of 507 |
| Carroll, IA | Not scored | 4 | 4.5 | $8.3M | −2.0% | |
| Spencer, IA | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $13M | −0.8% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Warren County, IA | 82 | 11 | 5.3 | $8.2M | +9.0% | #67 of 1,889 |
| 2Dallas County, IA | 80 | 32 | 7.5 | $6.3M | +17.8% | #89 of 1,889 |
| 3Jones County, IA | 74 | 5 | 6.1 | $6.1M | +2.9% | #184 of 1,889 |
| 4Madison County, IA | 74 | 5 | 7.5 | $5.6M | +3.8% | #190 of 1,889 |
| 5Buchanan County, IA | 66 | 5 | 6.1 | $6.2M | +1.3% | #360 of 1,889 |
| 6Boone County, IA | 63 | 5 | 4.6 | $8.8M | +0.4% | #433 of 1,889 |
| 7Muscatine County, IA | 63 | 10 | 5.8 | $6.4M | −3.0% | #439 of 1,889 |
| 8Pottawattamie County, IA | 62 | 27 | 7.2 | $5.3M | −0.7% | #469 of 1,889 |
| 9Polk County, IA | 61 | 184 | 9.0 | $4.7M | +4.8% | #515 of 1,889 |
| 10Mahaska County, IA | 60 | 5 | 5.7 | $6.3M | −1.2% | #531 of 1,889 |
| 11Story County, IA | 60 | 24 | 6.2 | $6.2M | +2.7% | #533 of 1,889 |
| 12Plymouth County, IA | 57 | 9 | 8.7 | $4.6M | 0.0% | #658 of 1,889 |
| 13Buena Vista County, IA | 55 | 6 | 8.0 | $4.8M | −1.7% | #736 of 1,889 |
| 14Delaware County, IA | 55 | 6 | 8.1 | $4.7M | +1.3% | #739 of 1,889 |
| 15Bremer County, IA | 54 | 7 | 7.2 | $5.6M | +1.1% | #768 of 1,889 |
| 16Clinton County, IA | 54 | 13 | 6.7 | $5.5M | −0.9% | #770 of 1,889 |
| 17Iowa County, IA | 54 | 5 | 7.2 | $5.2M | −1.0% | #775 of 1,889 |
| 18Jasper County, IA | 54 | 13 | 8.7 | $4.3M | +0.9% | #784 of 1,889 |
| 19Washington County, IA | 54 | 9 | 10.0 | $3.8M | +0.6% | #796 of 1,889 |
| 20Poweshiek County, IA | 53 | 5 | 6.4 | $5.8M | −1.4% | #806 of 1,889 |
| 21Webster County, IA | 53 | 12 | 7.8 | $4.5M | −0.4% | #817 of 1,889 |
| 22Lee County, IA | 52 | 8 | 5.6 | $6.1M | −3.6% | #839 of 1,889 |
| 23Linn County, IA | 52 | 81 | 8.5 | $4.7M | +0.7% | #850 of 1,889 |
| 24Sioux County, IA | 52 | 14 | 11.0 | $3.7M | +2.5% | #869 of 1,889 |
| 25Woodbury County, IA | 51 | 31 | 7.6 | $4.9M | +0.7% | #884 of 1,889 |
Show all 99 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Dubuque County, IA | 50 | 33 | 8.1 | $4.9M | +0.1% | #923 of 1,889 |
| 27Marion County, IA | 49 | 12 | 9.0 | $4.4M | +2.3% | #958 of 1,889 |
| 28Harrison County, IA | 47 | 6 | 9.9 | $3.9M | +0.4% | #1,038 of 1,889 |
| 29Johnson County, IA | 47 | 70 | 11.1 | $3.6M | +4.6% | #1,046 of 1,889 |
| 30Tama County, IA | 46 | 5 | 7.4 | $4.8M | −1.5% | #1,064 of 1,889 |
| 31Black Hawk County, IA | 44 | 50 | 9.2 | $4M | +0.4% | #1,147 of 1,889 |
| 32Shelby County, IA | 44 | 5 | 10.2 | $3.8M | −0.2% | #1,153 of 1,889 |
| 33Wapello County, IA | 41 | 11 | 7.9 | $4.4M | −0.3% | #1,239 of 1,889 |
| 34Scott County, IA | 41 | 75 | 10.3 | $3.9M | +0.4% | #1,248 of 1,889 |
| 35Cedar County, IA | 41 | 8 | 10.5 | $3.7M | −0.7% | #1,257 of 1,889 |
| 36Henry County, IA | 40 | 6 | 7.8 | $4.6M | −5.4% | #1,283 of 1,889 |
| 37Marshall County, IA | 40 | 14 | 9.0 | $4M | −0.5% | #1,288 of 1,889 |
| 38Jackson County, IA | 40 | 8 | 9.7 | $3.9M | −0.8% | #1,294 of 1,889 |
| 39Des Moines County, IA | 37 | 17 | 9.9 | $3.5M | −2.0% | #1,407 of 1,889 |
| 40Kossuth County, IA | 33 | 6 | 9.2 | $3.9M | −3.2% | #1,527 of 1,889 |
| 41Chickasaw County, IA | 33 | 5 | 10.0 | $3.7M | −2.8% | #1,531 of 1,889 |
| 42Dickinson County, IA | 32 | 12 | 13.6 | $2.9M | +1.7% | #1,570 of 1,889 |
| 43Winneshiek County, IA | 31 | 9 | 11.1 | $3.5M | −1.6% | #1,583 of 1,889 |
| 44Jefferson County, IA | 25 | 8 | 11.5 | $3M | −2.5% | #1,737 of 1,889 |
| 45Cerro Gordo County, IA | 23 | 23 | 11.8 | $3.1M | −1.5% | #1,768 of 1,889 |
| 46Page County, IA | 20 | 6 | 9.6 | $3.5M | −2.3% | #1,809 of 1,889 |
| 47Wright County, IA | 19 | 8 | 14.9 | $2.5M | −0.9% | #1,825 of 1,889 |
| Benton County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 3.9 | $10.5M | +1.8% | |
| Carroll County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 4.5 | $8.3M | −2.0% | |
| Fayette County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 3.6 | $9.6M | −2.1% | |
| Clayton County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $13.5M | −1.1% | |
| Hardin County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 4.3 | $8.1M | −2.2% | |
| Clay County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $13M | −0.8% | |
| Crawford County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 6.3 | $5.7M | −1.5% | |
| Floyd County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 1.5 | $23.3M | −4.4% | |
| Hamilton County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 6.2 | $6.1M | −0.5% | |
| Mills County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 7.4 | $5.7M | +2.6% | |
| Butler County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 6.8 | $5.5M | −2.0% | |
| O’Brien County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 3.4 | $10.6M | +0.5% | |
| Allamakee County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 3.4 | $10.8M | +1.2% | |
| Cass County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 6.8 | $5.1M | −1.2% | |
| Grundy County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 5.9 | $6.9M | +0.2% | |
| Appanoose County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 7.7 | $4.1M | −1.7% | |
| Lyon County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 2.2 | $17.2M | +3.6% | |
| Union County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 3.9 | $8.3M | −2.5% | |
| Cherokee County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 4.0 | $9.5M | −2.4% | |
| Guthrie County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 8.7 | $4.5M | +1.6% | |
| Louisa County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 7.1 | $5.4M | −3.7% | |
| Hancock County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $16.6M | −2.2% | |
| Winnebago County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 4.3 | $8.2M | −3.8% | |
| Mitchell County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 2.2 | $17.4M | +0.6% | |
| Montgomery County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 8.7 | $3.9M | −3.2% | |
| Franklin County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $14M | −1.2% | |
| Keokuk County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 4.9 | $7.1M | −2.0% | |
| Calhoun County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 5.0 | $7.2M | −3.4% | |
| Sac County, IA | Not scored | 6 | 13.9 | $2.6M | −2.7% | |
| Clarke County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 9.8 | $3.8M | −1.6% | |
| Humboldt County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $15.7M | −2.0% | |
| Howard County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 2.7 | $13.4M | −0.8% | |
| Emmet County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 2.5 | $13.7M | −2.5% | |
| Davis County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 6.2 | $6.1M | +1.3% | |
| Palo Alto County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 5.3 | $7M | −1.0% | |
| Lucas County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 8.1 | $4.1M | +2.6% | |
| Greene County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 10.2 | $3.5M | −1.0% | |
| Monona County, IA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.4% | |
| Decatur County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 13.1 | $2.5M | −0.9% | |
| Monroe County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 9.7 | $3.7M | −2.5% | |
| Adair County, IA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.3% | |
| Worth County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 6.3 | $6M | −1.3% | |
| Van Buren County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 13.8 | $2.4M | −1.2% | |
| Pocahontas County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 10.0 | $3.4M | −3.5% | |
| Ida County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 6.6 | $5.4M | −3.4% | |
| Wayne County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 7.8 | $4.5M | +3.6% | |
| Fremont County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 3.5 | $10.6M | −0.8% | |
| Osceola County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 3.8 | $9.5M | −3.6% | |
| Taylor County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 8.0 | $4.3M | −0.5% | |
| Audubon County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 11.6 | $3M | −3.0% | |
| Ringgold County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 10.5 | $3.5M | 0.0% | |
| Adams County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 6.5 | $5.8M | −2.5% |
Markets with fewer than 5 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many bakeries and dessert shops are in Iowa?
Iowa has 1,058 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings as of September 2026. 278 of them (26%) are chain locations. The listings count bakeries, ice cream, donut and dessert shops, candy stores. Official counts show 831 businesses with payroll classed as snack bars and retail bakeries in 2023, up 52.2% from 2019. That count covers all snack bars and retail bakeries (coffee shops and cafes included), not only bakeries and dessert shops. Official counts also show 122 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Iowa spend on food away from home?
About $5.1B a year, or $3,880 per household. That is 5% below the U.S. average (an index of 95, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,058 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings, it comes to $4.8M per shop. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only bakeries and dessert shops. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,315,707 households in Iowa and national spending patterns by income.
How does Iowa compare with the U.S. for bakeries and dessert shops?
Iowa has 8.0 bakeries and dessert shops per 10,000 households, 18% below the U.S. rate of 9.8. Spending per shop is $4.8M, 16% above the U.S. figure of $4.1M. At the national ratio of bakeries and dessert shops to household spending, Iowa would have about 1,232, against 1,058 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,583 households, against one for every 1,369 across the U.S. The official count rose 52.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +24.6% for the U.S.
Which market in Iowa has the highest market score for bakeries and dessert shops?
Among 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Iowa, the Omaha metro area scores highest, at 71 (upper middle). Among 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in Iowa, the Muscatine area scores highest, at 66 (upper middle). Among 47 scored counties in Iowa, Warren County scores highest, at 82 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Iowa scores 53 for bakeries and dessert shops (upper middle), #21 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Iowa. It maps the bakeries and dessert shops on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Bakeries and dessert shops in other states
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Top markets for bakeries and dessert shops across the U.S. · All business types in Iowa
Related business types in Iowa
- Restaurants and cafes13,560 listings
- Sit-down restaurants6,964 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops1,600 listings
- Pizza1,535 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes1,555 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Iowa?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.