These Are The 10 Best Cities In Iowa For Jobs In 2026

Top 10 Cities in Iowa for Job Seekers in 2026

If you’re on the hunt for a job in Iowa, you’ve landed in the right spot. With the job market evolving rapidly, understanding where the best opportunities lie is crucial for your career success.

While Des Moines often comes to mind as a prime location for job seekers, our analysis reveals that other cities in Iowa are outperforming it when it comes to job availability and economic conditions.

At Zippia, we dive deep into the data to uncover the top spots for employment in the Hawkeye State. After evaluating over 160 cities, we’ve compiled this updated list of the best cities in Iowa for job seekers:

If you’re a resident of one of these cities, you’re likely already aware of the advantages your location offers. For those elsewhere in Iowa, let’s explore how we determined these rankings and why these cities shine in the job market.

For additional Iowa job resources, check out:

Determining the Best Cities for Jobs in Iowa

To accurately compare cities, we established a minimum population threshold of 5,000 residents. From our initial data gathered on approximately 160 locations in Iowa, we filtered down to 80 cities meeting our criteria.

We ranked these cities based on several key factors, with each factor assigned a score from one to 80 (one being the best). The cities were evaluated on:

Unemployment rate
Median household income
Poverty level

The data for these metrics was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. If your city isn’t in the top 10, scroll down for a comprehensive chart detailing all rankings.

1. Clive

Population: 16,246 Unemployment Rank: 9
Median Income Rank: 2 Poverty Level Rank: 3

2. Grimes

Population: 9,037 Unemployment Rank: 7
Median Income Rank: 6 Poverty Level Rank: 2

3. Waukee

Population: 15,944 Unemployment Rank: 2
Median Income Rank: 5 Poverty Level Rank: 12

4. Johnston

Population: 18,874 Unemployment Rank: 17
Median Income Rank: 1 Poverty Level Rank: 8

5. Sioux Center

Population: 7,218 Unemployment Rank: 1
Median Income Rank: 13 Poverty Level Rank: 14

6. North Liberty

Population: 14,503 Unemployment Rank: 3
Median Income Rank: 10 Poverty Level Rank: 16

7. Urbandale

Population: 41,157 Unemployment Rank: 22
Median Income Rank: 4 Poverty Level Rank: 4

8. Pleasant Hill

Population: 9,011 Unemployment Rank: 13
Median Income Rank: 9 Poverty Level Rank: 10

9. Norwalk

Population: 9,444 Unemployment Rank: 30
Median Income Rank: 3 Poverty Level Rank: 1

10. Orange City

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 6,130 Unemployment Rank: 11
Median Income Rank: 17 Poverty Level Rank: 7

Finding the Right Place for Employment

The cities that rank best for jobs in Iowa share a common advantage: their proximity to major employment hubs. This geographical advantage plays a significant role in enhancing job availability and economic growth.

For those interested in the flipside, here are the least favorable cities for job seekers in Iowa:

Red Oak
Keokuk
Ottumwa

Comprehensive Ranking of Iowa Cities for Job Seekers

Rank	City	Population	Unemployment Rank	Income Rank	Poverty Rank
1	Clive	16,246	9	2	3
2	Grimes	9,037	7	6	2
3	Waukee	15,944	2	5	12
4	Johnston	18,874	17	1	8
5	Sioux Center	7,218	1	13	14
6	North Liberty	14,503	3	10	16
7	Urbandale	41,157	22	4	4
8	Pleasant Hill	9,011	13	9	10
9	Norwalk	9,444	30	3	1
10	Orange City	6,130	11	17	7
11	Ankeny	49,488	19	7	13
12	Bettendorf	34,247	25	8	6
13	Glenwood	5,253	12	14	21
14	West Des Moines	59,815	26	11	15
15	Altoona	15,317	39	12	9
16	Marion	35,809	35	15	11
17	Algona	5,513	5	30	27
18	Coralville	19,677	16	18	31
19	Sheldon	5,047	10	37	19
20	Le Mars	9,783	20	31	17
21	Decorah	8,058	14	29	26
22	Independence	5,955	23	28	23
23	Pella	10,343	33	20	22
24	Carroll	10,051	4	48	29
25	De Witt	5,297	43	19	20
26	Eldridge	5,908	60	21	5
27	Hiawatha	7,109	32	27	28
28	Clear Lake	7,718	18	35	42
29	Waverly	9,998	62	16	18
30	Cedar Rapids	128,009	44	23	35
31	Cherokee	5,203	15	52	39
32	Spencer	11,177	27	50	30
33	Estherville	6,177	42	34	33
34	Nevada	6,794	58	22	32
35	Indianola	15,014	65	26	24
36	Vinton	5,211	55	24	37
37	Harlan	5,047	6	56	59
38	Perry	7,986	28	41	53
39	Washington	7,315	66	33	25
40	Atlantic	6,983	8	72	45
41	Manchester	5,126	36	55	34
42	Storm Lake	10,743	38	51	44
43	Dubuque	58,068	52	36	49
44	Muscatine	23,857	48	49	41
45	Grinnell	9,136	34	46	64
46	Mount Pleasant	8,682	29	40	75
47	Newton	15,139	51	43	50
48	Oelwein	6,321	21	67	57
49	Boone	12,619	50	47	48
50	Marshalltown	27,749	67	32	47
51	Iowa Falls	5,193	71	39	38
52	Webster City	7,905	40	68	40
53	Clarinda	5,490	59	54	36
54	Sioux City	82,719	49	53	52
55	Council Bluffs	62,261	63	45	51
56	Shenandoah	5,079	24	65	71
57	Mason City	27,775	47	59	56
58	Davenport	101,316	61	42	62
59	Denison	8,370	46	44	76
60	Cedar Falls	40,009	64	25	78
61	Iowa City	70,597	31	58	79
62	Des Moines	206,702	69	38	66
63	Knoxville	7,257	56	63	54
64	Creston	7,846	53	66	55
65	Clinton	26,611	57	61	61
66	Fairfield	9,615	41	71	67
67	Charles City	7,562	45	75	60
68	Maquoketa	6,064	37	77	68
69	Fort Madison	10,929	76	60	46
70	Winterset	5,165	78	69	43
71	Ames	61,276	54	57	80
72	Waterloo	68,392	72	64	65
73	Centerville	5,480	68	78	58
74	Anamosa	5,526	79	62	63
75	Burlington	25,559	70	76	69
76	Oskaloosa	11,555	74	70	73
77	Fort Dodge	24,846	77	73	70
78	Ottumwa	24,847	75	74	74
79	Keokuk	10,742	73	80	77
80	Red Oak	5,644	80	79	72

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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