NAICS 51

Information in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Metro Market Score 78.0 (Difficult), ranked #292 of 294 metros. 214 establishments, 3,791 jobs.

Metro Market Score 78.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

💰High-Cost Market

Information employment in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the bottom 10% at 9.5. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

91.2

LQ: 0.94

Rank #268 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

94.2

$146,713 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 9.5

Employment growth index

Rank #267 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

22.8

YoY wage change index

214 Information Firms in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

214

Establishments

-7.0% YoY

3,791

Total Employment

-12.5% YoY

$146,713

Average Annual Wage

+6.0% YoY

0.94

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within California

#23 of 24

information metros in state

California state rank

#51 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+33.6

worse than median (44.5)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara vs California Statewide

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

Measure	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	CA Statewide
Overall Score	78.0 Difficult	56.6 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#292 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

Construction 39.1 Finance and Insurance 42.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 45.9 Retail Trade 51.6 Other Services 54.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 61.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 65.8 Administrative and Support Services 76.0 Accommodation and Food Services 84.9

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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara's 78.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 77.2 #291/294 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 80.0 #293/294 Trenton-Princeton, NJ 75.7 #290/294 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 75.6 #289/294 New Haven, CT 75.3 #288/294 Raleigh-Cary, NC 74.2 #287/294 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 73.8 #286/294 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT 73.2 #285/294 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 73.1 #284/294

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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara's information sector, the employment growth component (90.5) 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment