NAICS 51

Information in Boulder, CO

Metro Market Score 68.1 (Difficult), ranked #269 of 294 metros. 694 establishments, 8,421 jobs.

Metro Market Score 68.1

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 2.32 location quotient, Boulder has an outsized information presence relative to its population. That concentration (index: 98.6) creates a mature local market where supplier networks are established but differentiation matters more.

Industry Concentration

98.6

LQ: 2.32

Rank #290 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

99.0

$219,681 avg wage

Growth Trend

54.4

Employment growth index

Rank #135 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

25.3

YoY wage change index

694 Information Firms in Boulder

694

Establishments

-5.2% YoY

8,421

Total Employment

-1.8% YoY

$219,681

Average Annual Wage

+8.8% YoY

2.32

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Colorado

#6 of 6

information metros in state

Colorado state rank

#31 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+14.3

worse than median (53.8)

Boulder vs Colorado Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Colorado overall. The state ranks #31/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Boulder	CO Statewide
Overall Score	68.1 Difficult	46.7 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#269 of 294 metros	#31 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 Boulder

Construction 53.8 Administrative and Support Services 54.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.6 Other Services 55.5 Retail Trade 58.3 Finance and Insurance 61.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 66.6 Accommodation and Food Services 71.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 84.0

Information in Other Colorado Metros

Pueblo 36.9 #96/294 Grand Junction 41.9 #127/294 Greeley 48.3 #181/294 Fort Collins-Loveland 53.8 #207/294 Colorado Springs 67.6 #267/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Boulder's 68.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Cheyenne, WY 68.2 #270/294 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 67.8 #268/294 Bend, OR 68.5 #271/294 San Angelo, TX 68.5 #272/294 Colorado Springs, CO 67.6 #267/294 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 67.4 #266/294 Kahului-Wailuku, HI 67.4 #265/294 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 69.3 #273/294 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 66.9 #264/294 Fort Smith, AR 66.8 #263/294

Information in States Bordering Colorado

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

Kansas 37.6 #12/51 Nebraska 37.8 #13/51 Oklahoma 40.2 #18/51 Wyoming 42.2 #21/51 Utah 47.4 #33/51 New Mexico 47.7 #34/51 Arizona 49.2 #41/51

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 Boulder's information sector, the wage competitiveness component (99.0) 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 Boulder, CO MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment