NAICS 62

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Altoona, PA

Metro Market Score 49.9 (Challenging), ranked #133 of 248 metros. 651 establishments, 11,547 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Healthcare and Social Assistance wages in Altoona run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 20.2), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 22.9. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

86.7

LQ: 1.39

Rank #215 of 248 metros

Wage Competitiveness

20.2

$56,891 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 37.9

Employment growth index

Rank #155 of 248 metros

Wage Pressure

22.9

YoY wage change index

651 Healthcare and Social Assistance Firms in Altoona

651

Establishments

-2.8% YoY

11,547

Total Employment

+2.8% YoY

$56,891

Average Annual Wage

-0.7% YoY

1.39

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#5 of 16

healthcare and social assistance metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#6 of 51

for healthcare and social assistance entry risk

vs State Median

-3.6

better than median (53.5)

Altoona vs Pennsylvania Statewide

How this metro's healthcare and social assistance market compares to Pennsylvania overall. The state ranks #6/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Altoona	PA Statewide
Overall Score	49.9 Challenging	29.5 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#133 of 248 metros	#6 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 Finance and Insurance 44.1 Information 46.0 Retail Trade 51.7 Other Services 53.6

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Chambersburg 35.9 #48/248 Lebanon 43.5 #87/248 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre 45.7 #103/248 Pittsburgh 47.2 #115/248 Lancaster 50.7 #139/248 Gettysburg 52.5 #153/248 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 53.2 #158/248 Harrisburg-Carlisle 53.5 #159/248 State College 54.1 #167/248 Erie 54.3 #168/248

+ 5 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Healthcare and Social Assistance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Altoona's 49.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 49.9 #132/248 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 50.2 #134/248 Farmington, NM 50.3 #135/248 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 50.3 #136/248 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL 49.5 #131/248 Bend, OR 50.5 #137/248 Bellingham, WA 50.5 #138/248 Lewiston-Auburn, ME 49.3 #130/248 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 49.2 #129/248 Lancaster, PA 50.7 #139/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance in States Bordering Pennsylvania

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

Maryland 36.8 #21/51 Ohio 40.2 #26/51 West Virginia 40.3 #27/51 Delaware 44.8 #33/51 New Jersey 45.1 #34/51 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 Altoona's healthcare and social assistance sector, the industry concentration component (86.7) 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