NAICS 51

Information in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL

Metro Market Score 29.8 (Favorable), ranked #58 of 294 metros. 82 establishments, 390 jobs.

Metro Market Score 29.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

✓Favorable Market

Information wages in Florence-Muscle Shoals run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 3.4), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 15.8. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

35.0

LQ: 0.38

Rank #103 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

3.4

$47,975 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 43.2

Employment growth index

Rank #168 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

15.8

YoY wage change index

82 Information Firms in Florence-Muscle Shoals

Establishments

+9.3% YoY

390

Total Employment

-3.2% YoY

$47,975

Average Annual Wage

-1.8% YoY

0.38

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Alabama

#2 of 8

information metros in state

Alabama state rank

#5 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

-5.6

better than median (35.4)

Florence-Muscle Shoals vs Alabama Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Alabama overall. The state ranks #5/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Florence-Muscle Shoals	AL Statewide
Overall Score	29.8 Favorable	32.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#58 of 294 metros	#5 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 Florence-Muscle Shoals

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 26.8 Other Services 29.4 Accommodation and Food Services 40.7 Construction 41.5 Finance and Insurance 43.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 43.7 Administrative and Support Services 46.7 Retail Trade 61.9

Information in Other Alabama Metros

Anniston-Oxford 15.4 #8/294 Decatur 31.4 #68/294 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley 35.0 #83/294 Gadsden 35.4 #86/294 Huntsville 39.3 #110/294 Birmingham 50.3 #192/294 Mobile 52.9 #204/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Florence-Muscle Shoals's 29.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 29.9 #59/294 Iowa City, IA 30.0 #60/294 Yakima, WA 30.0 #61/294 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 29.5 #57/294 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA 29.5 #56/294 Williamsport, PA 30.8 #62/294 Ocala, FL 30.8 #63/294 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 28.8 #55/294 Bakersfield-Delano, CA 28.7 #54/294 Duluth, MN 30.9 #64/294

Information in States Bordering Alabama

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

Mississippi 43.1 #23/51 Florida 46.5 #30/51 Tennessee 48.1 #37/51 Georgia 48.9 #39/51

Browse Information in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for information 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 Florence-Muscle Shoals's information sector, the employment growth component (56.8) 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 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment