State Ledger
State profile

Iowa FIPS 19

Population
3,179,090
Median household income
$65,429
Nonfarm employment
1,574,100
Business establishments
83,321

Every figure above traces to a primary source · view data sources & methodology

State Highlights

Largest employer sector
Manufacturing
224,293 employees
Business concentration
15.8%
of private employment in Manufacturing
Home prices, 1 year
+3.2%
FHFA
Federal outlays per capita
$8,042.45
USASpending.gov

Economy & Labor

Total nonfarm employment

BLS Current Employment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted · persons · 20 months available · latest observation: August 2026
Employment ratio
50.0%
employed ÷ population
Unemployed population (ACS)
65,900
Vs. July
▼ 700
Business density
26.5 per 1,000
establishments per capita

Leading Industries

Leading industries by employment

Ranked by private-sector employment, same measure as the Business & Industry tab · see the full breakdown there
1 Manufacturing 224,293 employees
2 Health care and social assistance 220,971 employees
3 Retail trade 187,097 employees
4 Accommodation and food services 123,699 employees
5 Finance and insurance 101,557 employees

Leading Public Companies

Top 5 by latest reported revenue

SEC EDGAR / XBRL Company Facts · see the full listing on the Public Companies tab
Athene Holding Ltd. · ATH-PA
$25.68B
Life Insurance
CASEYS GENERAL STORES INC · CASY
$17.56B
Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations
PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP INC · PFG
$15.63B
Accident & Health Insurance
F&G Annuities & Life, Inc. · FG
$5.73B
Life Insurance
HNI CORP · HNI
$2.84B
Office Furniture (No Wood)

Population & People

Homeownership rate
71.6%
913.0K of 1.28M occupied homes are owner-occupied

Population by age

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimate (table B01001) · reconciles to total population
0–17
742.2K · 23.3%
18–24
317.0K · 10.0%
25–34
394.7K · 12.4%
35–44
392.7K · 12.4%
45–54
371.8K · 11.7%
55–64
420.1K · 13.2%
65–74
313.2K · 9.9%
75+
227.3K · 7.2%

Housing & Real Estate

Median home value
$160,700
Median gross rent
$845 / month
Vacancy rate
9.3%
Total housing units
1.41M
Owner-occupied homes
913.0K
Renter-occupied homes
362.9K
Home prices, 1 year
+3.2%
Home prices, 5 years
+37.4%
Latest FHFA period
2026 Q2

ACS: 2021 ACS 5-year · FHFA: 2026 Q2

ACS housing estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau — median home value reflects owner-reported value, not a current sale price. House-price changes are from the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, a measure of price appreciation over time, not a home-value estimate.

Federal Spending

Total federal outlays
$25.30B
Outlays per capita
$8,042.45
Total prime award value
$29.98B

Source: USASpending.gov · specific reporting period not published in this dataset