Find a Job You Really Want In
Anticipating a job hunt in 2020?
If so, you might be nervous about the state of your local job market or curious how it stacks up to rival cities. Cities in the same state can have dramatically different job markets. Job hunting in one part of the state can be a piece of cake, while in another city it can be a herculean task to just land an interview.
Here at Zippia, we love math (and jobs!), so we delved into the data to determine where in 2020 it was easiest to find a job in Iowa.
Here are the ten hottest job markets in Iowa.
The 10 Hottest Job Markets In Iowa
There you have it, folks- the ten cities where it was easiest to get a job in Iowa. Keep reading for a more detailed breakdown of how we reached these results. Your city not in the top 10? Keep scrolling to see where it landed on the full list.
How we determined the best job markets in Iowa
We used the most recent Census American Community Survey to pull data for the main Iowa metro areas. We only looked at cities with a working civilian population above 5,000.
While unemployment rate can tell you a lot about the local job market, it is simply one metric and job markets are complex entities. We opted to take a more in-depth look at the best job market in Iowa.
Each metro-area was ranked 1-to-41 in four categories:
- Unemployment Rate
- Change In Unemployment Rate
- Household Income Change
- Current Average Household Income
The lower the score in each category the better. For example, the Waukee area had the lowest unemployment rate at 0.7%, earning it the #1 spot for unemployment rate. The four ranked categories were then averaged together to produce our final list. The final list ranks the 41 metro areas from 1-to-41. Once again, the lower the score, the stronger the job market.
1. Clive
Unemployment Rate: 2.73%
Average Income: $130,930
2. Coralville
Unemployment Rate: 2.84%
Average Income: $97,419
3. Ankeny
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Average Income: $101,738
4. Johnston
Unemployment Rate: 2.74%
Average Income: $124,309
5. Pleasant Hill
Unemployment Rate: 3.13%
Average Income: $91,331
6. Carroll
Unemployment Rate: 1.96%
Average Income: $66,559
7. West Des Moines
Unemployment Rate: 3.16%
Average Income: $102,041
8. Le Mars
Unemployment Rate: 2.79%
Average Income: $73,531
9. North Liberty
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%
Average Income: $92,209
10. Norwalk
Unemployment Rate: 2.82%
Average Income: $100,700
MEASURING THE BEST JOB MARKETS In Iowa
You might be reading this and thinking, ‘Hey, I live in Waukee and have been unemployed for months- this can’t be right!’ That’s entirely possible.
While Waukee and the surrounding metro area have the hottest job market in Iowa, personal finances can be, well, personal. Education, work experience, and occupation all play a big role in securing a job. However, overall, job seekers in Waukee will have an easier time than those in cities near the bottom of the list.
Detailed List Of The Hottest Job Markets In Iowa
| Rank | Place | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clive | 2.73% |
| 2 | Coralville | 2.84% |
| 3 | Ankeny | 2.8% |
| 4 | Johnston | 2.74% |
| 5 | Pleasant Hill | 3.13% |
| 6 | Carroll | 1.96% |
| 7 | West Des Moines | 3.16% |
| 8 | Le Mars | 2.79% |
| 9 | North Liberty | 1.1% |
| 10 | Norwalk | 2.82% |
| 11 | Waukee | 0.68% |
| 12 | Marion | 3.5% |
| 13 | Cedar Falls | 3.37% |
| 14 | Bettendorf | 3.45% |
| 15 | Davenport | 4.37% |
| 16 | Pella | 2.98% |
| 17 | Indianola | 4.31% |
| 18 | Sioux | 5.24% |
| 19 | Waterloo | 5.74% |
| 20 | Cedar Rapids | 3.66% |
| 21 | Grimes | 2.11% |
| 22 | Urbandale | 3.02% |
| 23 | Dubuque | 5.07% |
| 24 | Altoona | 2.45% |
| 25 | Iowa | 4.77% |
| 26 | Boone | 3.52% |
| 27 | Des Moines | 5.96% |
| 28 | Storm Lake | 8.12% |
| 29 | Ottumwa | 6.56% |
| 30 | Mason | 5.16% |
| 31 | Muscatine | 2.67% |
| 32 | Clinton | 5.44% |
| 33 | Burlington | 6.22% |
| 34 | Council Bluffs | 4.75% |
| 35 | Waverly | 3.2% |
| 36 | Marshalltown | 5.51% |
| 37 | Oskaloosa | 6.24% |
| 38 | Ames | 5.24% |
| 39 | Fort Dodge | 4.93% |
| 40 | Spencer | 4.35% |
| 41 | Newton | 7.35% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
