NAICS 52

Finance and Insurance in State College, PA

Metro Market Score 49.5 (Challenging), ranked #171 of 331 metros. 205 establishments, 1,298 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market

At #171 of 331 metros, State College's finance and insurance sector scores 49.5 on the market index. Concentration (24.5), wage levels (75.8), and growth (47.4) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

24.5

LQ: 0.47

Rank #81 of 331 metros

Wage Competitiveness

75.8

$104,410 avg wage

Growth Trend

47.4

Employment growth index

Rank #175 of 331 metros

Wage Pressure

43.4

YoY wage change index

205 Finance and Insurance Firms in State College

205

Establishments

+2.0% YoY

1,298

Total Employment

-1.0% YoY

$104,410

Average Annual Wage

+5.2% YoY

0.47

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#8 of 14

finance and insurance metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#19 of 51

for finance and insurance entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (49.5)

State College vs Pennsylvania Statewide

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

Measure	State College	PA Statewide
Overall Score	49.5 Challenging	48.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#171 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 State College

Other Services 30.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.5 Administrative and Support Services 40.5 Accommodation and Food Services 41.8 Construction 46.0 Information 48.3 Retail Trade 48.9 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 59.6

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 Altoona 44.1 #140/331 Chambersburg 49.2 #165/331 Erie 49.5 #170/331 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 State College's 49.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Erie, PA 49.5 #170/331 Eau Claire, WI 49.5 #169/331 Stockton-Lodi, CA 49.4 #168/331 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 49.4 #167/331 Tallahassee, FL 49.3 #166/331 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 49.9 #172/331 Chambersburg, PA 49.2 #165/331 Great Falls, MT 49.9 #173/331 Sioux City, IA 49.1 #164/331 Medford, OR 50.1 #174/331

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 State College's finance and insurance sector, the wage competitiveness component (75.8) 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 State College, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment