NAICS 52

Finance and Insurance in El Centro, CA

Metro Market Score 28.6 (Favorable), ranked #36 of 331 metros. 110 establishments, 626 jobs.

Metro Market Score 28.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national finance and insurance average.

✓Favorable Market

Finance and Insurance wages in El Centro run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 2.4), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 41.4. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

0.6

LQ: 0.23

Rank #2 of 331 metros

Wage Competitiveness

2.4

$60,066 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 34.7

Employment growth index

Rank #217 of 331 metros

Wage Pressure

41.4

YoY wage change index

110 Finance and Insurance Firms in El Centro

110

Establishments

+2.8% YoY

626

Total Employment

-2.5% YoY

$60,066

Average Annual Wage

+4.4% YoY

0.23

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within California

#2 of 24

finance and insurance metros in state

California state rank

#12 of 51

for finance and insurance entry risk

vs State Median

-20.8

better than median (49.4)

El Centro vs California Statewide

How this metro's finance and insurance market compares to California overall. The state ranks #12/51 for entry risk.

Measure	El Centro	CA Statewide
Overall Score	28.6 Favorable	46.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#36 of 331 metros	#12 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in El Centro

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 10.5 Information 12.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 21.7 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 22.5 Construction 31.0 Administrative and Support Services 37.6 Other Services 43.8 Retail Trade 53.6 Accommodation and Food Services 54.7

Finance and Insurance in Other California Metros

Bakersfield-Delano 19.0 #5/331 Redding 32.8 #63/331 Merced 34.4 #73/331 Visalia 39.7 #101/331 Fresno 42.2 #121/331 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara 42.6 #124/331 Vallejo 43.3 #130/331 Napa 43.5 #131/331 Modesto 43.8 #135/331 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 43.9 #136/331

+ 13 more metros. View all in California →

Finance and Insurance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of El Centro's 28.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Laredo, TX 28.6 #35/331 Twin Falls, ID 28.7 #37/331 Fairbanks-College, AK 28.8 #38/331 Huntington-Ashland, WV 28.8 #39/331 Lawrence, KS 29.0 #40/331 Anniston-Oxford, AL 29.0 #41/331 Kenosha, WI 29.0 #42/331 Eagle Pass, TX 28.1 #34/331 Morgantown, WV 28.0 #33/331 Gadsden, AL 29.2 #43/331

Finance and Insurance in States Bordering California

State-level entry risk for finance and insurance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Arizona 52.6 #29/51 Nevada 55.6 #38/51 Oregon 56.7 #41/51

Browse Finance and Insurance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for finance and insurance across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For El Centro's finance and insurance sector, the employment growth component (65.3) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the El Centro, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment