Market data
Consumer protection in Iowa: market data
What public records say about the market for consumer protection in Iowa: how much demand the courts and agencies count, how many law offices serve it, how many people need help in Spanish, and the ad rules that apply. Every number links to the record it comes from.
Demand: what courts and agencies count
Counts of filings, crashes, complaints and enforcement in the records each agency keeps. A count shows where problems were recorded, not how many people will hire a lawyer.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFPB credit reporting complaints | 9,572 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Iowa state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-ia-credit-reporting · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| CFPB debt collection complaints | 754 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Iowa state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-ia-debt-collection · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| CFPB debt or credit management complaints | 14 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Iowa state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-ia-debt-management · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| FTC fraud and other reports | 22,855 reports, calendar year | 2024 | Iowa state | consumer-sentinel v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876 record sentinel-ia-fraud-other · status P · checked 2026-10-27 · linked by the markets layer |
| FTC identity theft reports | 3,919 reports, calendar year | 2024 | Iowa state | consumer-sentinel v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876 record sentinel-ia-identity-theft · status P · checked 2026-10-27 · linked by the markets layer |
| FTC imposter scam reports | 5,087 reports, calendar year | 2024 | Iowa state | consumer-sentinel v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876 record sentinel-ia-imposter-scams · status P · checked 2026-10-27 · linked by the markets layer |
| Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection | 29 cases filed, fiscal year | FY2025 | Iowa state | federal-filings-county v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750628 record federal-filings-county:IA · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| FCC unwanted call complaints | 769 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Iowa state | robocall-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733010 record robocalls-ia-call · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| FCC unwanted text complaints | 116 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Iowa state | robocall-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733010 record robocalls-ia-text · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: consumer credit and phone-call suits | 43 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Northern District of Iowa federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-ian-consumer · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: consumer credit and phone-call suits | 73 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Southern District of Iowa federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-ias-consumer · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
Rising or falling
The change between the last two periods each source publishes. No threshold and no smoothing.
| Measure | Before | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFPB credit reporting complaints Iowa · record cfpb-ia-credit-reporting | 6,891 prior 12 months | 9,572 12 months from 2025-10-01 | rising (+38.9%) |
| CFPB debt collection complaints Iowa · record cfpb-ia-debt-collection | 607 prior 12 months | 754 12 months from 2025-10-01 | rising (+24.2%) |
| CFPB debt or credit management complaints Iowa · record cfpb-ia-debt-management | 14 prior 12 months | 14 12 months from 2025-10-01 | no change (0%) |
| Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection Iowa · record federal-filings-county:IA | 31 FY2024 | 29 FY2025 | falling (-6.5%) |
| FCC unwanted call complaints Iowa · record robocalls-ia-call | 841 prior 12 months | 769 12 months from 2025-10-01 | falling (-8.6%) |
| FCC unwanted text complaints Iowa · record robocalls-ia-text | 106 prior 12 months | 116 12 months from 2025-10-01 | rising (+9.4%) |
Lawyer supply
How many law offices and lawyers the federal statistics count here.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New lawyers admitted | 339 lawyers a year | 2025 | Iowa state | bar-pipeline v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443 record ia-bar-pipeline · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties under 1 law office per 10,000 residents | 5 counties | 2026-Q1 | Iowa state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties with no law office | 3 counties | 2026-Q1 | Iowa state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Residents living in those low-office counties | 1.8 percent of residents | 2026-Q1 | Iowa state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Employer law firms | 1,208 firms | 2022 | Iowa state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-ia-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Receipts of employer law firms | 1,238,932,000 US dollars | 2022 | Iowa state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-ia-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Law offices per 10,000 residents | 4 per 10,000 residents | 2026-Q1 | Iowa state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Self-employed lawyers (nonemployer firms) | 1,140 firms | latest Nonemployer Statistics year | Iowa state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Private law offices | 1,294 establishments | 2026-Q1 | Iowa state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Lawyers employed (wage-earning, BLS OEWS) | 3,550 jobs | May 2025 | Iowa state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:IA:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Median annual wage of employed lawyers | 123,550 US dollars a year | May 2025 | Iowa state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:IA:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Counties with the most demand per law office
Of the 25 counties in Iowa with the most federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection, the ten with the most per private law office. Both counts are shown with their records.
| County | Demand | Law offices | Per office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sac County, IA | 2 record federal-filings-county:19161 | 7 record law-offices-19161 | 0.29 |
| Hardin County, IA | 1 record federal-filings-county:19083 | 4 record law-offices-19083 | 0.25 |
| Dallas County, IA | 3 record federal-filings-county:19049 | 41 record law-offices-19049 | 0.07 |
| Warren County, IA | 1 record federal-filings-county:19181 | 14 record law-offices-19181 | 0.07 |
| Polk County, IA | 15 record federal-filings-county:19153 | 338 record law-offices-19153 | 0.04 |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 1 record federal-filings-county:19013 | 35 record law-offices-19013 | 0.03 |
| Linn County, IA | 2 record federal-filings-county:19113 | 84 record law-offices-19113 | 0.02 |
| Johnson County, IA | 1 record federal-filings-county:19103 | 66 record law-offices-19103 | 0.02 |
| Pottawattamie County, IA | 1 record federal-filings-county:19155 | 46 record law-offices-19155 | 0.02 |
| Woodbury County, IA | 1 record federal-filings-county:19193 | 53 record law-offices-19193 | 0.02 |
Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection (federal-filings-county v1.0.0, FY2025) ÷ Private law offices (law-offices v1.0.0, 2026-Q1). ratio = federal-filings-county.ffc.consumer / law-offices.qcew_estabs, rounded to 2 decimals; ranked highest first, among the 25 units with the most demand. Units with zero supply are listed apart (ratio undefined); units without a published value are listed as missing.
Spanish-language demand
People who speak Spanish and speak English less than very well, and the lawyers who speak Spanish, from the Census Bureau survey (with margins of error).
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish speakers with limited English (ACS) | 59,207 ±2,073 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Iowa state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:IA:spanish-lep · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English | 59,207 ±2,390 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Iowa state | legal-need v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886 record legal-need-ia · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Ad rules that apply
The rules a law firm's ads in Iowa have to meet, summarized from the official texts. The full rules, with quotes, are on the state page.
| Topic | Status | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | The rules have no filing or pre-review requirement for ads or solicitations, and Rule 32:7.2 has no record-keeping clause. A lawyer may communicate information about the lawyer's services through any media (7.2(a)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Required content | P primary source | Every ad includes the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content (7.2(d)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Waiting periods for contact | P primary source | The rules set no waiting period. Rule 32:7.3 bars live person-to-person solicitation when a significant motive is the lawyer's gain, with exceptions, and bars solicitation after a refusal or involving coercion, duress or harassment. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Claims and results | P primary source | No clause bans testimonials, endorsements or past-result statements. A communication is false or misleading if it has a material misrepresentation or omits a needed fact (7.1). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | A lawyer may not pay or promise anything of value for recommending the lawyer's services. Exceptions: ad costs, the usual charges of a legal service plan or a not-for-profit or qualified lawyer referral service, buying a practice, non-exclusive reciprocal… official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Call recording | P primary source | Recording a communication without right or authority is a serious misdemeanor, but the statute does not apply to a sender or recipient, or one openly present and participating, recording the communication. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Texting | D default rule | No state telephone-solicitation statute with its own calling rules was found in the official code; the federal TCPA applies. |
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | Iowa: no filing or review of lawyer ads is required. official source · filing v1.2.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721409 · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | Lawyers in different firms may split a fee in proportion to the work each does, or if each takes joint responsibility for the matter, as long as the total fee is reasonable. official source · referral v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23747113 · checked 2026-10-27 |
Prices and pay (national)
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs in legal services (seasonally adjusted) | 1,249 thousand jobs | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CES6054110001:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| CPI-U: legal services | 230 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CUUR0000SEGC01:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| PPI: offices of lawyers | 338 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:PCU541110541110:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Download and cite
The rows behind this page, with every dataset, version, DOI, record id and check date.
Cite as: Probative Growth, The new-lawyer pipeline by jurisdiction: bar exam pass rates and new admissions, 2025 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443); CFPB complaints about debt collection, credit reporting and debt management, by state and month v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731); FTC Consumer Sentinel reports by state: fraud, identity theft and imposter scams, 2024 Data Book v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876); Legal deserts: law offices and lawyers per resident in every U.S. county v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430); Federal civil cases filed, by county of the plaintiff's residence, case type and year (Federal Judicial Center) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750628); How long federal civil cases take: outcomes, class actions and pro se share by district, nature of suit and year v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969); Spanish-speaking demand vs Spanish-speaking lawyer supply, by state and metro v1.1.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758); Law firm size, solos and receipts, by state: Census SUSB 2022, Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and Economic Census 2022 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997); Law offices, jobs and pay by county, with solo-practice counts: BLS QCEW, Census CBP and Nonemployer Statistics v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415); Lawyer, paralegal and legal-staff pay by state and metro (BLS OEWS) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840); Legal need by county: who may need a lawyer, from the American Community Survey v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886); Legal-services prices and jobs, monthly (BLS CPI, PPI and CES) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854); Unwanted-call and text-message complaints to the FCC, by state and month v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733010); CC BY 4.0. https://probativegrowth.com/markets/iowa/consumer-protection/
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How this page is built
Each figure is copied from one record of the dataset named with it, joined to this state and practice through the open practice and place crosswalk. Nothing is estimated. Methods, inputs and limits.