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: 470,982 (American Community Survey 2023)
- Laborshed workforce: 564,090 (QC Laborshed 2024)
- GDP $33.9B (BEA 2023)
- Home of John Deere world headquarters
- 35+ international companies
- Located in a Foreign Trade Zone #133
- Exports generation: $6.1 billion (International Trade Administration 2023)
- 47th largest exporter in U.S.
- $1.48 billion in investment with 2,878 new jobs in new locations and expansions in the past 5 years
- 42% of workers with post-secondary education (ACS 2023)
- 63% labor force participation (ACS 2023)
- 50 colleges and universities within a 90-mile radius (Quad Cities Graduate Inventory)
- 43% of workers with post-secondary education (ACS, 2023)
- Average commute is 14 miles and 19 minutes (QC Laborshed 2024)
- 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
- 9th lowest electric rates in U.S. (MidAmerican Energy)
- #5 Mississippi River Corridor Metro for total economic development projects (Site Selection Magazine 2025)
- Top 15% most diversified MSA (Lightcast, 2024)
- #27 cost of doing business (Forbes 2020)
Illinois & Iowa Rankings
- Iowa #1 in using robotics in manufacturing (Stanford University 2024)
- Illinois #2 Governor’s Cup for most projects (Site Selection Magazine 2025)
- 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)
- Illinois #2 education
- Illinois #2 infrastructure
- Illinois #6 access to capital
- Iowa #7 / Illinois #9 cost of living
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 2025)
- Top 10 prettiest river town in America (WorldAtlas 2023)
- #11 metro with the highest concentration of musicians and singers (Vivid Seats 2022)
- #43 Best Place to Live in the U.S. (U.S. News & World Report 2024)
- Top 100 Best Places to Live in U.S. (Livability.com 2025)
- #6 Iowa - Best State in America (U.S. News & World Report 2024)
Cost of living rankings
- #2 Best Cities for Couples to Buy a Home (Mortage Research Center 2025)
- #5 Best Affordable Places to Live (U.S. News & World Report 2024)
- #5 Most Affordable Small City to Buy a Home (WalletHub 2025)
- #8 Midsize Cities with the Highest Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salaries (Smartest Dollar 2021)
- Top 10 Most Affordable City for the American Middle-Class (Newsweek 2024)
- 10% below U.S. average cost of living (C2ER, Q2024)
- #24 Lowest Cost of Living in America (Niche 2024)
Note: MSA / Statistical Areas that make up the QC: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL, Clinton, IA and Muscatine, IA
Contact
Bill Polley
Senior Director, Business Intelligence - Grow Quad Cities
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