The QC ranks at the top of the list for quality of life, cost of living and best place for business. When you choose the Quad Cities, you’ll benefit from a dynamic region in the heart of America with competitive business costs and advantages with an idyllic Midwestern lifestyle and access to a skilled workforce. QC, that’s where we’ve grown our economic strength and you’ll join expanding businesses and new companies.
High measures for the Quad Cities
QC overview by-the-numbers
- Regional population: nearly 471,000 (Census 2020)
- Laborshed workforce: 581,296 (QC Laborshed 2021)
- Home of John Deere world headquarters
- 35+ international companies
- Located in a Foreign Trade Zone #133
- GDP growth: 4.3% (BEA 2021)
- Exports generation: $6.34 billion (International Trade Administration 2021)
- $1.6 billion in investment with 3,500 new jobs in new locations and expansions in the past 5 years
- 41% of workers with post-secondary education
- 63% labor force participation (ACS 2022)
- 40 colleges and universities within a 90-mile radius graduating 40,000 students annually
- 16-minute average commute
- Median home cost: $162,700, well below U.S. median price (Best Places)
- Average apartment rent is well below the U.S. average (Best Places)
Business rankings
- #3 Most Diversified Metro Economy in U.S. (Livability.com 2020)
- 8th lowest electric rates in U.S. (MidAmerican Energy 2023)
- #5 Top 10 Mississippi River Corridor Metros for Total Economic Development Projects + two other communities in our MSA ranked #8 Muscatine & #10 Clinton (Site Selection Magazine 2023)
- #8 Top Metros By Region West North Central (Site Selection Magazine 2023)
- Top 20 Most Diversified MSA (Lightcast, 2023)
- #27 Cost of Doing Business (Forbes 2020)
- Illinois ranks #2 for expansions and relocations (Site Selection Magazine 2023)
- Illinois #2 in the U.S. for Corporate Investment (Site Selection Magazine 2023)
- Illinois & Iowa #1 in their regions for Workforce Development (Site Selection Magazine 2023 & 2024)
- Iowa #1 in using robotics in manufacturing (Stanford University 2024)
- Iowa #7 / Illinois #36 Best State in the nation. (U.S. News World Report 2023)
- Illinois #17 / Iowa #23 America's Top States for Business. (CNBC 2023) -- additional highlights from the report.
- Illinois #9 / Iowa #7 Cost of Living
- Illinois #6 Access to Capital
- Illinois #2 Education
- Illinois #2 Infrastructure
Quality of life rankings
- #1 Best Midwest City for Millennials (The Ascent 2022)
- #1 Best Small Cities for Remote Work (Forage 2023)
- #1 Best Minor League Ballpark -- Modern Woodmen Park (USA Today 2024)
- #11 Metro with the Highest Concentration of Musicians and Singers (Vivid Seats 2022)
- Top 10 Prettiest River Towns in America (WorldAtlas 2023)
- #29 America's Best Small Cities (populations between 100,000-500,000) (Resonance Consultancy 2020)
- #54 Best Place to Live in the U.S. (U.S. News & World Report 2023)
- Top 100 Best Places to Live in U.S. (Livability.com 2023)
- #12 Best States for Iowa plus #1 for opportunity (U.S. News & World Report 2020)
Cost of living rankings
- #8 Midsize Cities with the Highest Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salaries (Smartest Dollar 2021)
- #9 Best Affordable Places to Live (U.S. News & World Report 2023)
- 11% below U.S. average cost of living (C2ER, Q3 2023)
Note: MSA / Statistical Areas that make up the QC: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL, Clinton, IA and Muscatine, IA
