Market rankings · Iowa
Coffee shops and cafes in Iowa
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Iowa, ranked by the Groundwork market score for coffee shops and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,555
- 545 chain locations (35%)
- Official establishments
- 773
- All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars · +51.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $5.1B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.8
- 7% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $3.3M
- 11% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #35 of 51
- Market score 40 · Lower middle
A site report maps the coffee shops and cafes 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
There are 1,555 coffee shops and cafes on map listings in Iowa as of September 2026. Of those, 545 are chain locations, or 35%, against 39% across the U.S. That is 11.8 per 10,000 households, 7% above the U.S. rate of 11.0.
At $3,880 per household (5% below the U.S. average), households in Iowa spend about $5.1B a year on food away from home. That works out to $3.3M per cafe, 11% below the U.S. figure of $3.7M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only coffee shops and cafes.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Iowa was 773 in 2023, up 51.3% from 2019. That is one for every 1,702 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 24.3% over the same years. That count covers all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars (bakeries and dessert shops included), not only coffee shops and cafes. Since fiscal 2022, 26 SBA-backed loans worth $8.1M have gone to businesses classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Iowa.
Among the 50 states and DC, Iowa ranks #35 for coffee shops and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 40 (lower middle). Of the 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Iowa, the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area scores highest (54). Of the 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Iowa, the Marshalltown area scores highest (74).
Every market in Iowa for coffee shops and cafes
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 54 | 364 | 12.3 | $3.4M | +6.7% | #167 of 387 |
| 2Cedar Rapids, IA | 50 | 114 | 10.0 | $4M | +1.0% | #194 of 387 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 50 | 515 | 13.2 | $3.2M | +4.2% | #200 of 387 |
| 3Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 43 | 65 | 9.4 | $4M | +0.5% | #250 of 387 |
| 4Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 39 | 170 | 10.5 | $3.6M | −0.9% | #281 of 387 |
| 5Iowa City, IA | 38 | 105 | 14.5 | $2.8M | +4.1% | #296 of 387 |
| 6Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 35 | 73 | 13.2 | $2.9M | +1.0% | #312 of 387 |
| 7Ames, IA | 34 | 66 | 13.2 | $2.9M | +2.2% | #318 of 387 |
| 8Dubuque, IA | 31 | 57 | 13.9 | $2.8M | +0.1% | #336 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Marshalltown, IA | 74 | 6 | 3.9 | $9.4M | −0.5% | #28 of 529 |
| 2Fort Dodge, IA | 61 | 12 | 7.8 | $4.5M | −0.4% | #150 of 529 |
| 3Oskaloosa, IA | 57 | 7 | 8.0 | $4.5M | −1.2% | #191 of 529 |
| 4Muscatine, IA | 56 | 16 | 9.2 | $4M | −3.0% | #207 of 529 |
| 5Le Mars, IA | 49 | 14 | 13.6 | $2.9M | 0.0% | #279 of 529 |
| 6Burlington, IA-IL | 48 | 19 | 9.6 | $3.6M | −2.5% | #287 of 529 |
| 7Pella, IA | 47 | 17 | 12.8 | $3.1M | +2.3% | #298 of 529 |
| 8Storm Lake, IA | 44 | 11 | 14.6 | $2.6M | −1.7% | #332 of 529 |
| 9Mason City, IA | 36 | 26 | 11.4 | $3.2M | −1.5% | #417 of 529 |
| 10Clinton, IA | 35 | 30 | 15.4 | $2.4M | −0.9% | #437 of 529 |
| 11Spirit Lake, IA | 35 | 18 | 20.4 | $2M | +1.7% | #438 of 529 |
| 12Ottumwa, IA | 33 | 17 | 12.1 | $2.9M | −0.3% | #446 of 529 |
| 13Carroll, IA | 33 | 12 | 13.6 | $2.8M | −2.0% | #447 of 529 |
| 14Fort Madison, IA | 32 | 17 | 11.9 | $2.9M | −3.6% | #453 of 529 |
| 15Spencer, IA | 27 | 10 | 13.7 | $2.6M | −0.8% | #491 of 529 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Dallas County, IA | 68 | 50 | 11.8 | $4M | +17.8% | #368 of 2,063 |
| 2Marshall County, IA | 67 | 6 | 3.9 | $9.4M | −0.5% | #370 of 2,063 |
| 3Benton County, IA | 66 | 6 | 5.9 | $7M | +1.8% | #396 of 2,063 |
| 4Warren County, IA | 61 | 27 | 13.1 | $3.3M | +9.0% | #584 of 2,063 |
| 5Washington County, IA | 59 | 9 | 10.0 | $3.8M | +0.6% | #661 of 2,063 |
| 6Grundy County, IA | 57 | 5 | 9.8 | $4.1M | +0.2% | #732 of 2,063 |
| 7Webster County, IA | 56 | 12 | 7.8 | $4.5M | −0.4% | #765 of 2,063 |
| 8Pottawattamie County, IA | 55 | 36 | 9.6 | $3.9M | −0.7% | #816 of 2,063 |
| 9Allamakee County, IA | 54 | 5 | 8.4 | $4.3M | +1.2% | #848 of 2,063 |
| 10Buchanan County, IA | 54 | 8 | 9.7 | $3.9M | +1.3% | #857 of 2,063 |
| 11Madison County, IA | 54 | 10 | 14.9 | $2.8M | +3.8% | #869 of 2,063 |
| 12Mahaska County, IA | 53 | 7 | 8.0 | $4.5M | −1.2% | #883 of 2,063 |
| 13Polk County, IA | 53 | 258 | 12.6 | $3.3M | +4.8% | #912 of 2,063 |
| 14Jackson County, IA | 52 | 7 | 8.5 | $4.4M | −0.8% | #930 of 2,063 |
| 15Muscatine County, IA | 52 | 16 | 9.2 | $4M | −3.0% | #940 of 2,063 |
| 16Jasper County, IA | 52 | 15 | 10.0 | $3.7M | +0.9% | #943 of 2,063 |
| 17Black Hawk County, IA | 51 | 45 | 8.2 | $4.4M | +0.4% | #967 of 2,063 |
| 18Boone County, IA | 51 | 10 | 9.1 | $4.4M | +0.4% | #968 of 2,063 |
| 19Linn County, IA | 48 | 104 | 10.9 | $3.7M | +0.7% | #1,097 of 2,063 |
| 20Kossuth County, IA | 47 | 5 | 7.6 | $4.7M | −3.2% | #1,123 of 2,063 |
| 21Floyd County, IA | 46 | 5 | 7.7 | $4.7M | −4.4% | #1,156 of 2,063 |
| 22Mills County, IA | 46 | 9 | 16.7 | $2.6M | +2.6% | #1,189 of 2,063 |
| 23Harrison County, IA | 45 | 7 | 11.5 | $3.4M | +0.4% | #1,212 of 2,063 |
| 24Plymouth County, IA | 45 | 14 | 13.6 | $2.9M | 0.0% | #1,221 of 2,063 |
| 25Delaware County, IA | 44 | 9 | 12.2 | $3.1M | +1.3% | #1,255 of 2,063 |
Show all 99 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Sioux County, IA | 44 | 22 | 17.3 | $2.4M | +2.5% | #1,263 of 2,063 |
| 27Tama County, IA | 43 | 6 | 8.9 | $4M | −1.5% | #1,271 of 2,063 |
| 28Des Moines County, IA | 42 | 17 | 9.9 | $3.5M | −2.0% | #1,316 of 2,063 |
| 29Cedar County, IA | 42 | 9 | 11.8 | $3.3M | −0.7% | #1,319 of 2,063 |
| 30Johnson County, IA | 42 | 96 | 15.2 | $2.7M | +4.6% | #1,329 of 2,063 |
| 31Hamilton County, IA | 41 | 7 | 10.9 | $3.5M | −0.5% | #1,343 of 2,063 |
| 32Marion County, IA | 40 | 17 | 12.8 | $3.1M | +2.3% | #1,393 of 2,063 |
| 33Woodbury County, IA | 40 | 50 | 12.3 | $3.1M | +0.7% | #1,395 of 2,063 |
| 34Buena Vista County, IA | 40 | 11 | 14.6 | $2.6M | −1.7% | #1,401 of 2,063 |
| 35Scott County, IA | 39 | 94 | 12.9 | $3.1M | +0.4% | #1,436 of 2,063 |
| 36Story County, IA | 38 | 56 | 14.4 | $2.7M | +2.7% | #1,487 of 2,063 |
| 37Henry County, IA | 36 | 7 | 9.2 | $3.9M | −5.4% | #1,546 of 2,063 |
| 38Poweshiek County, IA | 36 | 9 | 11.5 | $3.2M | −1.4% | #1,555 of 2,063 |
| 39Dubuque County, IA | 36 | 57 | 13.9 | $2.8M | +0.1% | #1,562 of 2,063 |
| 40Wright County, IA | 35 | 5 | 9.3 | $3.9M | −0.9% | #1,573 of 2,063 |
| 41Cherokee County, IA | 34 | 6 | 11.9 | $3.2M | −2.4% | #1,610 of 2,063 |
| 42Bremer County, IA | 33 | 15 | 15.4 | $2.6M | +1.1% | #1,657 of 2,063 |
| 43Shelby County, IA | 33 | 8 | 16.4 | $2.4M | −0.2% | #1,660 of 2,063 |
| 44Clinton County, IA | 31 | 30 | 15.4 | $2.4M | −0.9% | #1,724 of 2,063 |
| 45Lee County, IA | 30 | 17 | 11.9 | $2.9M | −3.6% | #1,747 of 2,063 |
| 46Fayette County, IA | 30 | 11 | 13.2 | $2.6M | −2.1% | #1,752 of 2,063 |
| 47Cerro Gordo County, IA | 29 | 22 | 11.3 | $3.3M | −1.5% | #1,776 of 2,063 |
| 48Wapello County, IA | 29 | 17 | 12.1 | $2.9M | −0.3% | #1,782 of 2,063 |
| 49Carroll County, IA | 29 | 12 | 13.6 | $2.8M | −2.0% | #1,790 of 2,063 |
| 50Dickinson County, IA | 29 | 18 | 20.4 | $2M | +1.7% | #1,798 of 2,063 |
| 51Hardin County, IA | 28 | 9 | 12.8 | $2.7M | −2.2% | #1,817 of 2,063 |
| 52Iowa County, IA | 28 | 11 | 15.9 | $2.3M | −1.0% | #1,824 of 2,063 |
| 53O’Brien County, IA | 27 | 10 | 17.2 | $2.1M | +0.5% | #1,841 of 2,063 |
| 54Clayton County, IA | 26 | 11 | 14.6 | $2.4M | −1.1% | #1,859 of 2,063 |
| 55Montgomery County, IA | 25 | 5 | 10.9 | $3.2M | −3.2% | #1,876 of 2,063 |
| 56Winneshiek County, IA | 25 | 14 | 17.2 | $2.3M | −1.6% | #1,885 of 2,063 |
| 57Appanoose County, IA | 24 | 5 | 9.6 | $3.3M | −1.7% | #1,900 of 2,063 |
| 58Cass County, IA | 23 | 9 | 15.4 | $2.3M | −1.2% | #1,929 of 2,063 |
| 59Clay County, IA | 22 | 10 | 13.7 | $2.6M | −0.8% | #1,941 of 2,063 |
| 60Jefferson County, IA | 22 | 12 | 17.3 | $2M | −2.5% | #1,946 of 2,063 |
| 61Winnebago County, IA | 20 | 6 | 12.9 | $2.7M | −3.8% | #1,973 of 2,063 |
| 62Union County, IA | 20 | 7 | 13.7 | $2.4M | −2.5% | #1,978 of 2,063 |
| 63Page County, IA | 16 | 8 | 12.8 | $2.6M | −2.3% | #2,016 of 2,063 |
| Jones County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 4.9 | $7.7M | +2.9% | |
| Crawford County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 4.7 | $7.6M | −1.5% | |
| Butler County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 5.1 | $7.3M | −2.0% | |
| Lyon County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 6.7 | $5.7M | +3.6% | |
| Chickasaw County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 4.0 | $9.3M | −2.8% | |
| 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 | 3 | 6.4 | $5.5M | −2.2% | |
| Mitchell County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 8.7 | $4.4M | +0.6% | |
| Franklin County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 4.8 | $7M | −1.2% | |
| Keokuk County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 4.9 | $7.1M | −2.0% | |
| Calhoun County, IA | Not scored | 5 | 12.5 | $2.9M | −3.4% | |
| Sac County, IA | Not scored | 9 | 20.9 | $1.7M | −2.7% | |
| Clarke County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 4.9 | $7.5M | −1.6% | |
| Humboldt County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 7.1 | $5.2M | −2.0% | |
| Howard County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 5.3 | $6.7M | −0.8% | |
| Emmet County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 7.4 | $4.6M | −2.5% | |
| Davis County, IA | Not scored | 6 | 18.7 | $2M | +1.3% | |
| Palo Alto County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 7.9 | $4.7M | −1.0% | |
| Lucas County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 8.1 | $4.1M | +2.6% | |
| Greene County, IA | Not scored | 6 | 15.3 | $2.3M | −1.0% | |
| Monona County, IA | Not scored | 5 | 12.9 | $2.7M | −2.4% | |
| Decatur County, IA | Not scored | 6 | 19.6 | $1.7M | −0.9% | |
| Monroe County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 12.9 | $2.8M | −2.5% | |
| Adair County, IA | Not scored | 5 | 15.5 | $2.4M | −1.3% | |
| Worth County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 12.6 | $3M | −1.3% | |
| Van Buren County, IA | Not scored | 6 | 20.7 | $1.6M | −1.2% | |
| Pocahontas County, IA | Not scored | 6 | 20.0 | $1.7M | −3.5% | |
| Ida County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 6.6 | $5.4M | −3.4% | |
| Wayne County, IA | Not scored | 7 | 27.3 | $1.3M | +3.6% | |
| Fremont County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 10.6 | $3.5M | −0.8% | |
| Osceola County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 3.8 | $9.5M | −3.6% | |
| Taylor County, IA | Not scored | 5 | 20.1 | $1.7M | −0.5% | |
| Audubon County, IA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.0% | |
| Ringgold County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 15.8 | $2.4M | 0.0% | |
| Adams County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 13.0 | $2.9M | −2.5% |
Markets with fewer than 5 coffee shops and cafes on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many coffee shops and cafes are in Iowa?
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,555 coffee shops and cafes in Iowa. 545 of them (35%) are chain locations. The listings count coffee, tea, juice and bubble tea shops, and cafes. Official counts show 773 businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in 2023, up 51.3% from 2019. The official count takes in all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, not only coffee shops and cafes: bakeries and dessert shops are counted too. Another 122 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
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 1,555 coffee shops and cafes on map listings, it comes to $3.3M per cafe. That spending covers all food away from home, which coffee shops and cafes share with other businesses in the trade. 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 coffee shops and cafes?
Iowa has 11.8 coffee shops and cafes per 10,000 households, 7% above the U.S. rate of 11.0. Spending per cafe is $3.3M, 11% below the U.S. figure of $3.7M. At the U.S. ratio of coffee shops and cafes to household spending, Iowa would have about 1,379, against 1,555 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,702 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S. The official count rose 51.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +24.3% for the U.S.
Which market in Iowa has the highest market score for coffee shops and cafes?
Among 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Iowa, the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area scores highest, at 54 (upper middle). Among 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Iowa, the Marshalltown area scores highest, at 74 (upper middle). Among 63 scored counties in Iowa, Dallas County scores highest, at 68 (upper middle). 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 40 for coffee shops and cafes (lower middle), #35 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 coffee shops and cafes 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.
Coffee shops and cafes in other states
All 51 states
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Top markets for coffee shops and cafes 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
- Bakeries and dessert shops1,058 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.