NAICS 52

Finance and Insurance in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Metro Market Score 42.6 (Moderate), ranked #124 of 331 metros. 548 establishments, 3,523 jobs.

Metro Market Score 42.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth🌱Emerging Market

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara ranks in the upper half for finance and insurance market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 42.6, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

14.2

LQ: 0.40

Rank #47 of 331 metros

Wage Competitiveness

90.0

$127,360 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 75.2

Employment growth index

Rank #83 of 331 metros

Wage Pressure

45.5

YoY wage change index

548 Finance and Insurance Firms in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

548

Establishments

-2.3% YoY

3,523

Total Employment

+1.4% YoY

$127,360

Average Annual Wage

+6.0% YoY

0.40

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within California

#7 of 24

finance and insurance metros in state

California state rank

#12 of 51

for finance and insurance entry risk

vs State Median

-6.8

better than median (49.4)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara vs California Statewide

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

Measure	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	CA Statewide
Overall Score	42.6 Moderate	46.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#124 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

Construction 39.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 45.9 Retail Trade 51.6 Other Services 54.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 61.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 65.8 Administrative and Support Services 76.0 Information 78.0 Accommodation and Food Services 84.9

Finance and Insurance in Other California Metros

Bakersfield-Delano 19.0 #5/331 El Centro 28.6 #36/331 Redding 32.8 #63/331 Merced 34.4 #73/331 Visalia 39.7 #101/331 Fresno 42.2 #121/331 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara's 42.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Enid, OK 42.6 #123/331 Flagstaff, AZ 42.6 #125/331 Jackson, MI 42.4 #122/331 Pueblo, CO 42.9 #126/331 Fayetteville, NC 43.0 #127/331 Salisbury, MD 43.0 #128/331 Fresno, CA 42.2 #121/331 Grants Pass, OR 42.0 #119/331 Abilene, TX 42.0 #120/331 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 43.2 #129/331

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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara's finance and insurance sector, the wage competitiveness component (90.0) 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment