State profile · 56 business types

Iowa market data

How Iowa compares with the 50 states and DC for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.

Population, 2025: 3,238,387; +1.5% since 2020
Households: 1,315,707
Median household income: $75,059; +24.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
Median home value: $208,000
Jobs located here: 1,546,079

A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Iowa by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach.

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Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

Iowa has an estimated 3,238,387 people and 1,315,707 households. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Iowa grew 1.5%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Median household income in Iowa is $75,059, 7% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 24.0%, before inflation.

Relative to the U.S., household spending in Iowa runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 118, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on child care and other personal services (70).

By the Groundwork market score, Iowa’s highest ranks among the 50 states and DC are for dentists and orthodontists (#2), oil change and quick-lube shops (#2) and barbershops (#5).

Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for chiropractors (94% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for dry cleaners (54% below the U.S. rate).

All 56 business types in Iowa

Listings per 10,000 households, and the same as an index where 100 is the U.S. rate. Spending per listing is a year of household spending on the type’s whole line over its listings (for the real estate types, an index of housing costs per listing, where 100 is the U.S.). The rank puts the state’s Groundwork market score against the other 50 states and DC.

Every business type in Iowa: listings, listings per 10,000 households against the U.S., spending per listing, official establishments, market score and rank among states
Business type	Listings	Per 10k households	Vs. U.S. (100)	Spending per listing	Official establishments	Score	Rank among states
Food and drink
Restaurants and cafes	13,560	103.1	94	$377K	5,367	57	#21 of 51
Sit-down restaurants	6,964	52.9	86	$733K	2,459	51	#21 of 51
Fast food and sandwich shops	1,600	12.2	92	$3.2M	2,095	59	#18 of 51
Pizza	1,535	11.7	146	$3.3M	2,095	39	#39 of 51
Coffee shops and cafes	1,555	11.8	107	$3.3M	773	40	#35 of 51
Bakeries and dessert shops	1,058	8.0	82	$4.8M	831	53	#21 of 51
Groceries and convenience
Grocery and convenience stores	2,463	18.7	100	$3.2M	727	50	#27 of 51
Grocery stores	899	6.8	100	$8.8M	615	37	#37 of 51
Convenience stores	1,101	8.4	105	$7.2M	112	51	#27 of 51
Auto
Auto repair and car care	5,496	41.8	117	$271K	2,356	42	#37 of 51
Auto repair shops	3,172	24.1	112	$470K	1,718	46	#32 of 51
Collision repair and body shops	511	3.9	126	$2.9M	469	36	#41 of 51
Car washes and detailing	671	5.1	134	$2.2M	302	34	#45 of 51
Tire shops	578	4.4	116	$2.6M	256	45	#31 of 51
Oil change and quick lube	59	0.4	57	$25.3M	56	77	#2 of 50
Gas stations	1,367	10.4	95	$2.8M	1,680	47	#27 of 51
Insurance agencies	2,325	17.7	113	$984K	1,993	20	#48 of 51
Beauty and personal care
Salons, barbers and spas	5,258	40.0	85	$248K	1,222	57	#15 of 51
Hair salons	3,086	23.5	100	$422K	796	39	#42 of 51
Barbershops	420	3.2	60	$3.1M	28	72	#5 of 51
Nail salons	535	4.1	68	$2.4M	154	66	#7 of 51
Spas and skin care	1,139	8.7	76	$1.1M	219	66	#6 of 51
Fitness and classes
Gyms, studios and classes	1,941	14.8	99	$603K	697	44	#37 of 51
Gyms	1,120	8.5	112	$1M	398	39	#42 of 51
Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios	236	1.8	75	$5M	398	55	#20 of 51
Martial arts and dance studios	585	4.4	90	$2M	299	51	#24 of 51
Health care
Doctors, dentists and clinics	11,017	83.7	99	$169K	3,846	65	#11 of 51
Dentists and orthodontists	1,255	9.5	73	$1.5M	1,030	79	#2 of 51
Primary care and pediatrics	817	6.2	86	$2.3M	1,099	75	#6 of 51
Urgent care and walk-in clinics	44	0.3	60	$42.2M	35	77	#6 of 50
Chiropractors	1,387	10.5	194	$1.3M	872	24	#51 of 51
Physical therapy	770	5.9	109	$2.4M	501	60	#16 of 51
Optometrists and eye care	538	4.1	100	$3.5M	309	51	#24 of 51
Pets
Pet businesses	1,697	12.9	124	$654K	853	26	#46 of 51
Veterinarians	610	4.6	139	$1.8M	480	24	#47 of 51
Pet grooming and boarding	507	3.9	108	$2.2M	295	35	#43 of 51
Pet stores	254	1.9	95	$4.4M	78	54	#23 of 51
Child care
Child care and preschools	764	5.8	100	$700K	895	24	#47 of 51
Clothing and laundry
Clothing, shoes and laundry	2,733	20.8	89	$947K	982	55	#22 of 51
Clothing and shoe stores	2,058	15.6	96	$1.3M	878	48	#29 of 51
Laundromats	217	1.6	100	$11.9M	46	51	#24 of 51
Dry cleaners	83	0.6	46	$31.2M	58	69	#6 of 51
Home services
Home repair trades	1,839	14.0	113	$1.9M	2,299	30	#44 of 51
HVAC and plumbing	802	6.1	97	$4.5M	1,108	38	#37 of 51
Electricians	457	3.5	140	$7.8M	902	29	#44 of 51
Roofing and gutters	580	4.4	122	$6.2M	289	25	#49 of 51
Lawn, cleaning and pest control	1,177	8.9	106	$1.4M	2,105	32	#41 of 51
Landscaping and lawn care	767	5.8	121	$2.1M	1,242	28	#44 of 51
House cleaning	257	2.0	91	$6.3M	717	40	#37 of 51
Pest control	153	1.2	86	$10.6M	146	38	#38 of 51
Real estate
Real estate	3,271	24.9	65	130 (index)	2,030	60	#12 of 51
Real estate agents and brokers	2,671	20.3	66	127 (index)	1,195	54	#17 of 51
Property management	267	2.0	67	124 (index)	423	63	#10 of 51
Mortgage brokers and lenders	263	2.0	47	180 (index)	121	63	#13 of 51
Home inspectors	70	0.5	83	100 (index)	48	49	#26 of 50
Funeral services
Funeral homes	508	3.9	186	$373K	323	22	#47 of 51

Markets in Iowa

Each market’s page covers every business type, with its figures against the state and the U.S.

Questions

How fast is Iowa growing?

Population estimates put Iowa at 3,238,387 people in 2025, up 1.5% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 1,315,707 households. Median household income rose 24.0% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.

How much do households in Iowa spend?

Households in Iowa spend about $18.4B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $7.9B on groceries and $5.1B on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in Iowa spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 118, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on child care and other personal services (70).

Which business types rank highest in Iowa?

Among the 50 states and DC, Iowa ranks highest for dentists and orthodontists (#2), oil change and quick-lube shops (#2) and barbershops (#5) by the Groundwork market score.

How does Iowa compare with the U.S.?

The median household income in Iowa is $75,059 a year, 7% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 1.5% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $208,000, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, Iowa has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for chiropractors (94% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for dry cleaners (54% below the U.S. rate).

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. Each business type is scored on its own, so a state can rank high for one type and low for another.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Iowa. It maps the competitors 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.

Every state and business type · How we measure

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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.