NAICS 62

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA

Metro Market Score 70.3 (Difficult), ranked #239 of 248 metros. 40,860 establishments, 459,071 jobs.

Metro Market Score 70.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national healthcare and social assistance average.

💰High-Cost Market

Boston-Cambridge-Newton scores 70.3 on the Metro Market Score for healthcare and social assistance, placing it in the bottom 10%. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

65.3

LQ: 1.18

Rank #162 of 248 metros

Wage Competitiveness

96.8

$76,869 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 28.2

Employment growth index

Rank #179 of 248 metros

Wage Pressure

41.4

YoY wage change index

40,860 Healthcare and Social Assistance Firms in Boston-Cambridge-Newton

40,860

Establishments

-5.7% YoY

459,071

Total Employment

+2.2% YoY

$76,869

Average Annual Wage

+3.2% YoY

1.18

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Massachusetts

#4 of 6

healthcare and social assistance metros in state

Massachusetts state rank

#40 of 51

for healthcare and social assistance entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (70.3)

Boston-Cambridge-Newton vs Massachusetts Statewide

How this metro's healthcare and social assistance market compares to Massachusetts overall. The state ranks #40/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Boston-Cambridge-Newton	MA Statewide
Overall Score	70.3 Difficult	48.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#239 of 248 metros	#40 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton

Accommodation and Food Services 54.2 Retail Trade 56.0 Construction 63.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 66.6 Other Services 67.7 Administrative and Support Services 69.2 Information 72.6 Finance and Insurance 79.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 80.3

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other Massachusetts Metros

Amherst Town-Northampton 49.1 #127/248 Barnstable Town 68.2 #232/248 Pittsfield 69.7 #238/248 Springfield 71.4 #240/248 Worcester 84.9 #248/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Boston-Cambridge-Newton's 70.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Pittsfield, MA 69.7 #238/248 Cleveland, OH 69.5 #237/248 Springfield, MA 71.4 #240/248 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 69.2 #236/248 Rockford, IL 69.1 #235/248 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 68.7 #234/248 Grand Forks, ND 68.2 #233/248 Barnstable Town, MA 68.2 #232/248 Great Falls, MT 68.1 #231/248 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY 67.9 #230/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance in States Bordering Massachusetts

State-level entry risk for healthcare and social assistance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Connecticut 30.9 #8/51 Rhode Island 36.0 #17/51 New Hampshire 36.6 #19/51 Vermont 36.7 #20/51 New York 48.2 #39/51

Browse Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for healthcare and social assistance 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton's healthcare and social assistance sector, the wage competitiveness component (96.8) 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment