DOING BUSINESS IN IOWA

Iowa Economic Development Authority
515-348-6200
opportunities@iowaeda.com
www.iowaeda.com

Doing business in Iowa

Doing business in Iowa is about the relationship, not the transaction. Access to decision-makers, combined with our legendary Midwest work ethic, central North American geographic location, and low cost of doing business make Iowa an attractive place to do business.

— Debi Durham, Executive Director,
Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority
Doing business in Iowa
Aerial view of Cedar Rapids downtown skyline. (Photo: Adobe Stock / Aaron)

  TARGETED GROWTH SECTORS

Manufacturing: As Iowa’s largest industry, manufacturing accounts for 18% of the state GDP, with 4,100 manufacturers employing 14% of the workforce.


Finance: Iowa’s insurance industry output as a percent of GDP ranks first in the nation at 11%. Home to 2,500 financial services companies, the state is #1 in the concentration of bank employees.


Bioscience: Bioscience companies benefit from Iowa’s world-renowned research institutions and abundant access to raw materials. #1 producer of corn, pork, and eggs and #2 in soybeans in the U.S.

  TOP PROJECTS

COMPANY
CITY
INVESTMENT
Google
Council Bluffs
$600 million
Atlas Roofing
Clinton
$212 million
Michael Foods
Norwalk
$146 million
Nestle Purina Pet Care
Clinton
$110 million
International Paper Co.
Cedar Rapids
$103 million

  FAST FACTS

Population (July 2022 est.): 3,200,517¹
Largest Cities (2020): Des Moines (213,699); Cedar Rapids (137,581); Davenport (101,584); Sioux City (85,654); Iowa City (74,443)¹
Real GDP (2022): $197.8 billion²

¹U.S. Census Bureau
²Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Dept. of Commerce

  CERTIFIED SITES

Companies looking to build new facilities are searching for sites suitable for development that are relatively risk-free. The Iowa Certified Site Program parallels a typical site location process. A credentialed Iowa Certified Site has relevant site-related data and documentation accumulated and is designated as “development ready.”

  TOP BUSINESS FACILITIES RANKINGS

#2 Agribusiness
2023 State Rankings
#2 Wind Power (Installed MW)
2023 State Rankings
#3 Manufacturing Jobs (% of Workforce)
2023 State Rankings
Top 5 Green Jobs
2023 State Rankings
Top 10 Manufacturing Output (% of GDP)
2023 State Rankings
#1 Housing Growth (Small Cities): Davenport
2023 Metro Rankings
Top 10 Best Business Climate (Mid-Sized): Des Moines
2023 Metro Rankings

From the July / August 2023 issue of Business Facilities

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