States · Iowa

Iowa Economy — Live Data

Iowa's economy runs on agriculture, insurance, and renewable energy. Unemployment sits at 3.2%, below the national rate of 4.2%. This page tracks the numbers that matter for Iowa — jobs, house prices, and income — straight from federal data, updated automatically.

Unemployment Rate
3.2%
▼ Below US average (4.2%)
Nonfarm Jobs
1.58M
▼ -0.7% jobs YoY
House Prices (YoY)
+3.8%
▲ Rising
Per-Capita Income
$68K
▲ +4.4% vs prior year
Iowa vs. United States — Unemployment
Iowa
3.2%
United States
4.2%

Iowa is outperforming the national labor market. Unemployment of 3.2% is 1.0 points below the US rate — a sign of relative strength in local hiring.

Jobs & Output
Nonfarm payrolls
1.58M
Job growth (YoY)
-0.7%
Real GDP (2025)
$209B
GDP growth (YoY)
+1.2%

Payrolls are monthly (BLS); GDP and income are annual (BEA). Key sectors in Iowa: agriculture, insurance, and renewable energy.

What this means if you live or work in Iowa
💼
Job market
With unemployment below the national average, employers in Iowa are competing for workers — leverage for job seekers and wage pressure for businesses.
🏠
Housing
House prices are rising moderately (+3.8% YoY) — a balanced market by recent standards.
💵
Income
Per-capita personal income in Iowa is $68,326, up 4.4% from the prior year. Compare against national inflation to gauge real purchasing power.
🏭
Key industries
Iowa's economy leans on agriculture, insurance, and renewable energy — sector-specific national trends (energy prices, rates, consumer spending) hit this state through those channels first.
Key Numbers — Iowa
Unemployment3.2%
US unemployment4.2%
Nonfarm jobs1.58M
House prices YoY+3.8%
Per-capita income$68,326
Real GDP$209B
Labor data as ofMay 2026
Nearby States
Illinois economy → Minnesota economy → Nebraska economy → Missouri economy → All 50 states →
National Data
US labor market → US housing data → US inflation → Full dashboard →

Data: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis) — series IAUR, IANA, IASTHPI, IAPCPI, IARGSP — plus BLS and BEA. Live values load on page open; figures shown are the most recent official releases. Not financial advice.