Iowa
What are the best companies in Iowa? See which 30 made Forbes 2024 ‘Best Employers’ list.
Principal Financial Group, Ankeny Community School District among top employers
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Each year, Forbes releases its “America’s Best Employers By State,” list which includes nearly 1,300 companies nationwide.
Thirty employers in Iowa were featured on this year’s list, with 14 companies headquartered in the state and seven based in the Des Moines metro area. The companies that made the list fall into a range of industries, including education, health care social services, and government.
To create the list, Forbes worked with data company Statista to survey more than 160,000 U.S. employees at companies with at least 500 workers. Survey participants were asked a series of questions including:
- How likely they were to recommend their company.
- To evaluate the companies they’ve worked for within the past two years.
- To evaluate organizations, they knew within their industry or through friends or family who worked there.
Responses were collected from all 50 states and Washington D.C. and weighted based on recent data to compile the list.
Here are the best employers in Iowa, according to Forbes:
Top-rated employers headquartered in the Des Moines Metro
2. Principal Financial Group
3. Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
7. Ankeny Community School District
13. Broadlawns Medical Center
22. State of Iowa
23. Des Moines Public Schools
25. UnityPoint Health
More: Looking for a new job? These Iowa companies rank among the best for pay
Top-rated employers based in Iowa
8. UI Health Care (formerly University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics), Iowa City
12. Iowa State University, Ames
16. Pella Corporation, Pella
17. Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids
18. University of Iowa, Iowa City
26. Cedar Rapids Community School District, Cedar Rapids
29. Transamerica, Cedar Rapids
What are all of the Iowa companies on Forbes’ ‘Best Employers’ list?
The list from Forbes also included companies headquartered in other states that have large presences in Iowa. Here’s the complete list of employers in Iowa ranked by Forbes along with their headquarters location:
- Kwik Trip/Kwik Star, La Crosse, Wisconsin
- Principal Financial Group, Des Moines
- Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Des Moines
- United Parcel Service, Atlanta
- Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Columbus, Ohio
- UnitedHealth Group, Minnetonka, Minnesota
- Ankeny Community School District, Ankeny
- UI Health Care, Iowa City
- Hormel Foods, Austin, Minnesota
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C.
- Amazon, Seattle
- Iowa State University, Ames
- Broadlawns Medical Center, Des Moines
- John Deere, Moline, Illinois
- Target, Minneapolis
- Pella Corporation, Pella
- Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids
- University of Iowa, Iowa City
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
- Menards, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Marsh & McLennan, New York
- State of Iowa, Des Moines
- Des Moines Public Schools, Des Moines
- FedEx, Memphis, Tennessee
- UnityPoint Health, West Des Moines
- Cedar Rapids Community School District, Cedar Rapids
- Sammons Enterprises, Dallas
- United States Postal Services (USPS), Washington, D.C.
- Transamerica, Cedar Rapids
- PepsiCo, Purchase, New York
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
One of the top Iowa high school football prospects in the state has made his college decision official.
Iowa City Regina High School senior-to-be Tate Wallace has announced he has verbally committed to the University of Minnesota in the Big Ten Conference. Wallace picked the Golden Gophers and head coach PJ Fleck over a finalists Notre Dame, Nebraska, Arizona, Arizona State and Wisconsin.
Wallace narrowed down his list of schools to six at the end of April before making his final decision.
Iowa City Regina Football Standout Tate Wallace Ranked As No. 2 Overall Prospect In Iowa High School Football
The 6-foot-2, 226-pound linebacker is considered the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of Iowa for high school football, and is the No. 21 linebacker in the Class of 2027, according to 247Sports.
In the 247Sports Composite rankings, Wallace is No. 2 in Iowa high school football, No. 29 at linebacker and No. 359 for the Class of 2027.
Along With Minnesota, Tate Wallace Currently Holds Offers From Schools Such As Arizona, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Iowa State
Wallace currently holds 16 total offers including from the previously mentioned Minnesota, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Arizona, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Kansas State, Purdue, Tennessee, West Virginia, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, UNLV, North Dakota and North Dakota State.
As a junior, Wallace registered almost 50 tackles on defense, with 29 of them being counted as solo stops. He had 18 tackles for loss, 8.5 quarterback sacks and forced two fumbles, as Iowa City Regina advanced to the state championship game of the Iowa High School Athletic Association State Football Championships.
Future Minnesota Golden Gopher Has Been Key Two-Way Starter For Regals
Wallace also hauled in 40 passes for 611 yards with 10 receiving touchdowns on offense for the Regals. As a two-way player for Iowa City Regina during his sophomore season, Wallace had 27.5 tackles, including 16 solo stops, four tackles for loss and a quarterback sack, adding 51 receptions for 752 yards and eight touchdowns.
Back in March, Wallace announced seven spring visits to Notre Dame, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, Kansas State and Arizona State. He also visited Tennessee this past fall, taking in an SEC contest with the Volunteers.
Along with his success on the football field, Wallace helped lead the Regals to the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament this past winter. He earned High School on SI all-state honors in the process.
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IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) — Volunteers broke ground Saturday for Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 16th Woman Build, honoring a retired University of Iowa nursing professor.
Liz Swanson, a retired nursing professor, was chosen as this year’s honoree for her decades of impact. The Women Build program focuses on including women in every step of home construction.
While the home is built in Swanson’s honor, it will go to a fellow nurse and mother of three. The family applied through the affordable housing program.
Swanson said she’s proud to be part of a project that directly connects to her nursing legacy.
“It’s very special to have the unique opportunity to help the nurse who is working nights,” Swanson said.
Swanson said stable housing gives families the security to plan for the future.
“It means security for families. We talked briefly to the children and they said, ‘we’re gonna have our own bedroom,’” Swanson said.
Volunteers are set to begin work on the home in August. Those interested in volunteering can find more information here.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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