Iowa

What are the best companies in Iowa? See which 30 made Forbes 2024 ‘Best Employers’ list.

Published

2 years ago

September 5, 2024

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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

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_

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Iowa

Sen. Chuck Grassley shares he’s recovering from gallstone surgery

Published

4 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

Sen. Chuck Grassley shares he’s recovering from gallstone surgery

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Senator Chuck Grassley said he’s recovering from a gallstone removal procedure.

His media team shared that he is working in Iowa “in good spirits and looks forward to returning to Washington soon.”

“I’m gr8ful [sic] for the excellent care from local health care providers,” he shared on X.

Over the weekend in Iowa I had a procedure to remove gallstones I’m gr8ful for the excellent care from local health care providers Be back to capitol ASAP
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 20, 2026
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Grassley, 92, is the oldest senator currently in office and the sixth-longest-serving senator in U.S. history.

The Senate is in session this week.

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Iowa

Former Iowa State star, All-American Audi Crooks announces transfer destination

Published

16 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

Former Iowa State star, All-American Audi Crooks announces transfer destination

Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.

Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.

Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.

“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.

“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”

Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.

The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

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Iowa

5 people wounded in shooting near University of Iowa campus, including 3 students

Published

1 day ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

5 people wounded in shooting near University of Iowa campus, including 3 students

Five people were shot and injured at an Iowa City pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus overnight, police said Sunday. Students from the university were among the injured, according to school officials.

The Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, the department said in a news release. Arriving officers heard gunfire.

Multiple victims were hospitalized, police said. Police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition, while the other four victims are stable.

University of Iowa President Barb Wilson said in a statement that three students were among those shot. None of the victims has been publicly identified.

No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police said they are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.” The university also shared the request for information.

The pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.

The “persons of interest” being sought by Iowa City Police.

Iowa City Police Department / University of Iowa