NAICS 51

Information in Gadsden, AL

Metro Market Score 35.4 (Moderate), ranked #86 of 294 metros. 31 establishments, 153 jobs.

Metro Market Score 35.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Information wages in Gadsden run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 8.8), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 25.0. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

10.9

LQ: 0.25

Rank #32 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

8.8

$53,734 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 15.0

Employment growth index

Rank #251 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

25.0

YoY wage change index

31 Information Firms in Gadsden

Establishments

+14.8% YoY

153

Total Employment

-8.9% YoY

$53,734

Average Annual Wage

+8.5% YoY

0.25

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Alabama

#5 of 8

information metros in state

Alabama state rank

#5 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (35.4)

Gadsden vs Alabama Statewide

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

Measure	Gadsden	AL Statewide
Overall Score	35.4 Moderate	32.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#86 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 Gadsden

Construction 14.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 28.8 Finance and Insurance 29.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 35.5 Administrative and Support Services 39.0 Retail Trade 41.9 Other Services 42.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 48.8 Accommodation and Food Services 55.7

Information in Other Alabama Metros

Anniston-Oxford 15.4 #8/294 Florence-Muscle Shoals 29.8 #58/294 Decatur 31.4 #68/294 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley 35.0 #83/294 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 Gadsden's 35.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Fairbanks-College, AK 35.5 #87/294 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR 35.6 #88/294 Oklahoma City, OK 35.7 #89/294 Corpus Christi, TX 35.1 #85/294 Harrisonburg, VA 35.1 #84/294 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 35.0 #83/294 Grants Pass, OR 34.8 #82/294 Topeka, KS 36.2 #90/294 Bay City, MI 36.2 #91/294 Winston-Salem, NC 34.6 #81/294

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 Gadsden's information sector, the employment growth component (85.0) 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 Gadsden, AL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment