NAICS 52

Finance and Insurance in Altoona, PA

Metro Market Score 44.1 (Moderate), ranked #140 of 331 metros. 170 establishments, 907 jobs.

Metro Market Score 44.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

Finance and Insurance employment in Altoona contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the upper half at 8.5. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

10.6

LQ: 0.39

Rank #35 of 331 metros

Wage Competitiveness

27.5

$79,018 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 8.5

Employment growth index

Rank #304 of 331 metros

Wage Pressure

35.7

YoY wage change index

170 Finance and Insurance Firms in Altoona

170

Establishments

-1.2% YoY

907

Total Employment

-6.8% YoY

$79,018

Average Annual Wage

+2.2% YoY

0.39

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#5 of 14

finance and insurance metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#19 of 51

for finance and insurance entry risk

vs State Median

-5.4

better than median (49.5)

Altoona vs Pennsylvania Statewide

How this metro's finance and insurance market compares to Pennsylvania overall. The state ranks #19/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Altoona	PA Statewide
Overall Score	44.1 Moderate	48.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#140 of 331 metros	#19 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 Altoona

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 21.4 Construction 29.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 35.8 Accommodation and Food Services 42.1 Administrative and Support Services 43.1 Information 46.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 49.9 Retail Trade 51.7 Other Services 53.6

Finance and Insurance in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Gettysburg 29.7 #48/331 Lebanon 34.2 #71/331 Williamsport 40.7 #108/331 York-Hanover 43.6 #132/331 Chambersburg 49.2 #165/331 Erie 49.5 #170/331 State College 49.5 #171/331 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre 53.3 #203/331 Lancaster 54.3 #212/331 Pittsburgh 54.9 #217/331

+ 3 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Finance and Insurance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Altoona's 44.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Eugene-Springfield, OR 44.1 #139/331 Augusta-Richmond County, GA 44.2 #141/331 Toledo, OH 44.1 #137/331 Niles, MI 44.1 #138/331 Tyler, TX 44.2 #142/331 Kokomo, IN 44.3 #143/331 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 43.9 #136/331 Bend, OR 44.4 #144/331 Modesto, CA 43.8 #135/331 Lewiston, ID 44.5 #145/331

Finance and Insurance in States Bordering Pennsylvania

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

West Virginia 39.8 #2/51 Ohio 48.2 #14/51 Maryland 52.6 #30/51 New Jersey 53.2 #32/51 Delaware 57.7 #44/51 New York 65.4 #49/51

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 Altoona's finance and insurance sector, the employment growth component (91.5) 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 Altoona, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment