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Bars in Iowa

How many bars exist per person present (residents + daytime workers) across the 5 Iowa counties we cover, by ZIP code, compared with the U.S. average. Data: Census ZBP 2023 + ACS 2024 + BLS QCEW.

Includes: Bars & taverns · Pubs & brewpubs (drinking-focused) · Cocktail & wine bars · Taprooms. Counted together because official statistics use one 722410 code.

State verdict (covered counties): High density — 190% of the U.S. rate

Counties covered

in Iowa

Bars

296

establishments (2023)

Per 10,000 present

1.9

residents + 0.5×workers

U.S. average

1.0

per 10,000 present

State index

190%

vs. U.S.

Residents

1,236,667

in covered counties

Workers

620,484

jobs in covered counties

Coverage. This page aggregates only the 5 Iowa counties BizGapMap covers — not the whole state. Counts and the index reflect those counties. The aggregate index uses only ZIP cells Census published, so it is a lower bound. Density is a supply-side signal: it counts existing bars and the people present, not foot traffic, income, rent, or whether locals want more.

Counties in Iowa

City	County	Bars	Residents	Workers	Per 10k	Index	Verdict
Davenport	Scott County	70–98	174,858	85,838	3.2	319–419%	Very high density
Cedar Falls	Black Hawk County	40–56	130,172	58,636	2.5	249–323%	Range spans bands
West Des Moines	Polk County	125–173	546,696	305,833	1.8	177–228%	High density
Coralville	Johnson County	26–50	153,959	67,063	1.4	137–243%	Range spans bands
Cedar Rapids	Linn County	35–79	230,982	103,114	1.2	123–242%	Range spans bands

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

Lowest vs. highest measured density

Fewest competitors per capita

319%

249%

177%

137%

123%

Most competitors per capita

123%

137%

177%

249%

319%

Low measured density is not evidence of opportunity. A county with few bars may simply lack foot traffic, retail space, or demand. Use the ranking to find where to look, then verify locally.

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BizGapMap — free, no-login small-business saturation reports for major U.S. counties. Built entirely from public U.S. Census, BLS, and IRS data (ZBP 2023, ACS 2024 5-year, PEP 2024, LODES, QCEW, IRS SOI). No forecasts, no revenue guesses — withheld cells are marked, and the few derived counts are labelled as estimates.