NAICS 51

Information in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

Metro Market Score 84.0 (Difficult), ranked #294 of 294 metros. 4,190 establishments, 128,028 jobs.

Metro Market Score 84.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

🏭Industry Hub💰High-Cost Market

With a 2.85 location quotient, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont has an outsized information presence relative to its population. That concentration (index: 99.3) creates a mature local market where supplier networks are established but differentiation matters more.

Industry Concentration

99.3

LQ: 2.85

Rank #292 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

99.7

$430,579 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 13.6

Employment growth index

Rank #255 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

41.7

YoY wage change index

4,190 Information Firms in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont

4,190

Establishments

+0.5% YoY

128,028

Total Employment

-9.5% YoY

$430,579

Average Annual Wage

+27.3% YoY

2.85

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within California

#24 of 24

information metros in state

California state rank

#51 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+39.5

worse than median (44.5)

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont vs California Statewide

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

Measure	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	CA Statewide
Overall Score	84.0 Difficult	56.6 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#294 of 294 metros	#51 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont

Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.0 Other Services 62.0 Administrative and Support Services 63.4 Retail Trade 66.7 Construction 68.3 Accommodation and Food Services 69.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 70.4 Finance and Insurance 75.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 84.7

Information in Other California Metros

El Centro 12.3 #4/294 Merced 16.0 #10/294 Vallejo 26.8 #43/294 Bakersfield-Delano 28.7 #54/294 Napa 31.3 #67/294 Santa Cruz-Watsonville 31.9 #71/294 Salinas 32.5 #75/294 Modesto 33.7 #79/294 Visalia 37.0 #100/294 Stockton-Lodi 40.2 #117/294

+ 13 more metros. View all in California →

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont's 84.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 80.0 #293/294

Information in States Bordering California

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

Arizona 49.2 #41/51 Oregon 52.0 #45/51 Nevada 56.3 #50/51

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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont's information sector, the employment growth component (86.4) 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment