This study is an assessment of Iowa’s creative economy. It represents a broad inventory of the creative composition of the Iowa economy with an eye towards defining its size and scope, measuring how it compares with the U.S., and discerning the value of the creative economy to the larger Iowa economy.

The creative economy has two important dimensions. The first is Iowa’s creative workforce. The second is Iowa’s creative industrial composition. The creative workforce is further segmented into two groups. The first, borrowing from Florida’s work (2002), is the super creative core, which is composed of computer and mathematical professionals; architects and engineers; life, physical, and social scientists; education, training, and library professionals; and arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations. The second subgroup is composed of the occupations termed creative professionals. Creative professionals include managers and administrators, business and financial professionals, legal professionals and health care practitioners, high-end sales professionals, and community and social service workers.