Groundwork

Market rankings · Iowa

Real estate businesses in Iowa

Every metro area, small-town market and county in Iowa, ranked by the Groundwork market score for real estate businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
3,271
151 chain locations (5%)
Official establishments
2,030
+13.9% since 2019
Household spending a year
$18.4B
On rent and homeowner costs
Listings per 10k households
24.9
35% below the U.S.
Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)
130
30% above the U.S.
Rank among states
#12 of 51
Market score 60 · Upper middle

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

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

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

What this means

There are 3,271 real estate businesses on map listings in Iowa as of September 2026. 151 of them (5%) are chain locations, against 6% across the U.S. That comes to 24.9 for every 10,000 households, 35% below the U.S. rate of 38.5.

At $14,016 per household (16% below the U.S. average), households in Iowa spend about $18.4B a year on rent and homeowner costs. Housing spending per office is 30% above the U.S. figure. The spending figure is all rent and homeowner costs, a measure of housing demand, not money real estate businesses take in.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in Iowa was 2,030 in 2023, up 13.9% from 2019. That is one for every 648 households, against one for every 414 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 15.8% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 19 SBA-backed loans worth $8.4M have gone to businesses classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in Iowa.

Among the 50 states and DC, Iowa ranks #12 for real estate businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 60 (upper middle). Of the 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Iowa, the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metro area scores highest (56). Of the 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Iowa, the Le Mars area scores highest (66).

Every market in Iowa for real estate businesses

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

Metro areas reaching Iowa, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsHousing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)Population growthU.S. rank
1Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL5635421.9146−0.9%#124 of 387
2Iowa City, IA5520328.1118+4.1%#133 of 387
3Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA5416123.2136+0.5%#141 of 387
4Cedar Rapids, IA5129225.6129+1.0%#174 of 387
5Dubuque, IA4810525.6127+0.1%#195 of 387
6Sioux City, IA-NE-SD4715828.5112+1.0%#210 of 387
7Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA461,03735.298+6.7%#228 of 387
Omaha, NE-IA451,29233.1103+4.2%#237 of 387
8Ames, IA3914529.1111+2.2%#287 of 387

Small-town markets

Small-town markets reaching Iowa, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsHousing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)Population growthU.S. rank
1Le Mars, IA661514.52270.0%#77 of 536
2Storm Lake, IA651215.9200−1.7%#88 of 536
3Ottumwa, IA631913.6221−0.3%#101 of 536
4Marshalltown, IA632415.5200−0.5%#102 of 536
5Oskaloosa, IA601416.0192−1.2%#133 of 536
6Pella, IA572518.8174+2.3%#166 of 536
7Fort Madison, IA541711.9250−3.6%#204 of 536
8Clinton, IA493316.9183−0.9%#276 of 536
9Mason City, IA434318.9165−1.5%#346 of 536
10Carroll, IA421820.5155−2.0%#361 of 536
11Muscatine, IA383319.0163−3.0%#410 of 536
12Burlington, IA-IL333819.1156−2.5%#470 of 536
13Fort Dodge, IA333522.8133−0.4%#471 of 536
14Spirit Lake, IA295461.154+1.7%#512 of 536
15Spencer, IA252128.8106−0.8%#521 of 536

Counties

Counties in Iowa, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsHousing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)Population growthU.S. rank
1Benton County, IA761211.8285+1.8%#87 of 2,229
2Warren County, IA712311.1314+9.0%#181 of 2,229
3Bremer County, IA661515.4215+1.1%#344 of 2,229
4Guthrie County, IA65510.9302+1.6%#365 of 2,229
5Jones County, IA641214.6215+2.9%#409 of 2,229
6Cedar County, IA6379.2354−0.7%#431 of 2,229
7Crawford County, IA6369.5325−1.5%#434 of 2,229
8Madison County, IA631014.9228+3.8%#446 of 2,229
9Plymouth County, IA631514.52270.0%#447 of 2,229
10Mills County, IA63916.7206+2.6%#454 of 2,229
11Jackson County, IA6256.1521−0.8%#474 of 2,229
12Henry County, IA6279.2336−5.4%#477 of 2,229
13Mitchell County, IA62510.9292+0.6%#484 of 2,229
14Buchanan County, IA621113.3238+1.3%#491 of 2,229
15Jasper County, IA622617.3183+0.9%#504 of 2,229
16Hamilton County, IA6169.3341−0.5%#525 of 2,229
17Wapello County, IA591913.6221−0.3%#609 of 2,229
18Buena Vista County, IA591215.9200−1.7%#619 of 2,229
19Delaware County, IA591520.4157+1.3%#632 of 2,229
20Sioux County, IA582116.5204+2.5%#655 of 2,229
21Marshall County, IA582415.5200−0.5%#657 of 2,229
22Washington County, IA571213.4240+0.6%#704 of 2,229
23Cass County, IA56712.0251−1.2%#747 of 2,229
24Mahaska County, IA561416.0192−1.2%#766 of 2,229
25Lyon County, IA56920.1161+3.6%#777 of 2,229
Show all 99 counties
Counties in Iowa, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score, continued
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsHousing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)Population growthU.S. rank
26Hancock County, IA55510.7285−2.2%#804 of 2,229
27Wright County, IA55916.8186−0.9%#819 of 2,229
28Shelby County, IA54612.3265−0.2%#847 of 2,229
29Marion County, IA542518.8174+2.3%#861 of 2,229
30Lee County, IA531711.9250−3.6%#897 of 2,229
31Tama County, IA52710.4293−1.5%#953 of 2,229
32Clayton County, IA52810.7286−1.1%#954 of 2,229
33Iowa County, IA52913.0241−1.0%#959 of 2,229
34Kossuth County, IA52913.8224−3.2%#963 of 2,229
35Louisa County, IA51511.8270−3.7%#1,015 of 2,229
36Floyd County, IA511015.4200−4.4%#1,025 of 2,229
37O’Brien County, IA49915.5199+0.5%#1,117 of 2,229
38Winneshiek County, IA481518.4175−1.6%#1,167 of 2,229
39Clinton County, IA473316.9183−0.9%#1,207 of 2,229
40Allamakee County, IA461118.5168+1.2%#1,269 of 2,229
41Harrison County, IA461321.3152+0.4%#1,275 of 2,229
42Hardin County, IA451115.6191−2.2%#1,329 of 2,229
43Johnson County, IA4419130.2110+4.6%#1,416 of 2,229
44Dallas County, IA4416037.7100+17.8%#1,421 of 2,229
45Cherokee County, IA42917.8177−2.4%#1,499 of 2,229
46Carroll County, IA421820.5155−2.0%#1,503 of 2,229
47Boone County, IA422421.9150+0.4%#1,505 of 2,229
48Chickasaw County, IA39918.0174−2.8%#1,652 of 2,229
49Muscatine County, IA393319.0163−3.0%#1,654 of 2,229
50Pottawattamie County, IA398723.1137−0.7%#1,660 of 2,229
51Dubuque County, IA3810525.6127+0.1%#1,729 of 2,229
52Linn County, IA3726828.0118+0.7%#1,784 of 2,229
53Cerro Gordo County, IA364322.0142−1.5%#1,827 of 2,229
54Webster County, IA363522.8133−0.4%#1,829 of 2,229
55Polk County, IA3681339.686+4.8%#1,851 of 2,229
56Page County, IA351524.0122−2.3%#1,862 of 2,229
57Des Moines County, IA343621.0143−2.0%#1,909 of 2,229
58Black Hawk County, IA3414326.2118+0.4%#1,912 of 2,229
59Scott County, IA3423432.0103+0.4%#1,923 of 2,229
60Woodbury County, IA3413232.497+0.7%#1,926 of 2,229
61Story County, IA3312131.1103+2.7%#1,973 of 2,229
62Jefferson County, IA321420.1147−2.5%#1,997 of 2,229
63Appanoose County, IA301426.9105−1.7%#2,064 of 2,229
64Poweshiek County, IA292025.6122−1.4%#2,087 of 2,229
65Clay County, IA282128.8106−0.8%#2,120 of 2,229
66Fayette County, IA271821.6138−2.1%#2,139 of 2,229
67Union County, IA271631.392−2.5%#2,147 of 2,229
68Winnebago County, IA251123.7128−3.8%#2,172 of 2,229
69Dickinson County, IA255461.154+1.7%#2,183 of 2,229
Butler County, IANot scored23.4930−2.0%
Grundy County, IANot scored35.9569+0.2%
Montgomery County, IANot scored48.7339−3.2%
Franklin County, IANot scored37.1407−1.2%
Keokuk County, IANot scored819.7153−2.0%
Calhoun County, IANot scored410.0307−3.4%
Sac County, IANot scored24.6664−2.7%
Clarke County, IANot scored614.7213−1.6%
Humboldt County, IANot scored49.5332−2.0%
Howard County, IANot scored923.9128−0.8%
Emmet County, IANot scored512.3240−2.5%
Davis County, IANot scored412.5254+1.3%
Palo Alto County, IANot scored37.9395−1.0%
Lucas County, IANot scored513.5216+2.6%
Greene County, IANot scored615.3200−1.0%
Monona County, IANot scored37.7391−2.4%
Decatur County, IANot scored13.3879−0.9%
Monroe County, IANot scored825.9118−2.5%
Adair County, IANot scored412.4253−1.3%
Worth County, IANot scored00.0n/a−1.3%
Van Buren County, IANot scored26.9426−1.2%
Pocahontas County, IANot scored620.0149−3.5%
Ida County, IANot scored26.6464−3.4%
Wayne County, IANot scored415.6195+3.6%
Fremont County, IANot scored27.1448−0.8%
Osceola County, IANot scored27.6406−3.6%
Taylor County, IANot scored416.1186−0.5%
Audubon County, IANot scored27.7386−3.0%
Ringgold County, IANot scored947.4670.0%
Adams County, IANot scored16.5488−2.5%

Markets with fewer than 5 real estate businesses on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.

Questions

How many real estate businesses are in Iowa?

As of September 2026, map listings count 3,271 real estate businesses in Iowa. 151 of them (5%) are chain locations. The listings count real estate agents and brokers, property managers, mortgage brokers and lenders, and home inspectors. Official counts show 2,030 businesses with payroll classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in 2023, up 13.9% from 2019. Another 9,940 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.

How much do households in Iowa spend on rent and homeowner costs?

About $18.4B a year, or $14,016 per household. That is 16% below the U.S. average (an index of 84, where 100 is the U.S. average). For the 3,271 real estate businesses on map listings, housing spending per office is 30% above the U.S. figure. That figure is all rent and homeowner costs, used as a measure of housing demand; it is not money real estate businesses take in. 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 real estate businesses?

Iowa has 24.9 real estate businesses per 10,000 households, 35% below the U.S. rate of 38.5. The index of housing spending per office is 130, where 100 is the U.S. At the U.S. ratio of real estate businesses to household spending, Iowa would have about 4,257, against 3,271 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 648 households, against one for every 414 across the U.S. The official count rose 13.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +15.8% for the U.S.

Which market in Iowa has the highest market score for real estate businesses?

Among 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Iowa, the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metro area scores highest, at 56 (upper middle). Among 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Iowa, the Le Mars area scores highest, at 66 (upper middle). Among 69 scored counties in Iowa, Benton County scores highest, at 76 (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 60 for real estate businesses (upper middle), #12 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 real estate businesses 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.

Real estate in other states

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Top markets for real estate businesses across the U.S. · All business types in Iowa

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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.