NAICS 51

Information in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC

Metro Market Score 66.2 (Difficult), ranked #262 of 294 metros. 6,450 establishments, 70,147 jobs.

Metro Market Score 66.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

💰High-Cost Market

Market conditions for information in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria are tougher than average. The 66.2 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, mixed growth signals, and an already crowded field. Rank: #262 of 294 metros.

Industry Concentration

94.9

LQ: 1.17

Rank #279 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

97.3

$182,746 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 57.8

Employment growth index

Rank #125 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

27.7

YoY wage change index

6,450 Information Firms in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria

6,450

Establishments

+1.0% YoY

70,147

Total Employment

-1.3% YoY

$182,746

Average Annual Wage

+11.5% YoY

1.17

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within District of Columbia

#1 of 1

information metros in state

District of Columbia state rank

#43 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (66.2)

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria vs District of Columbia Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to District of Columbia overall. The state ranks #43/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria	DC Statewide
Overall Score	66.2 Difficult	51.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#262 of 294 metros	#43 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 60.5 Finance and Insurance 69.7 Other Services 78.3

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria's 66.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Corvallis, OR 66.2 #261/294 Fort Smith, AR 66.8 #263/294 Worcester, MA 65.6 #260/294 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 66.9 #264/294 Kahului-Wailuku, HI 67.4 #265/294 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 67.4 #266/294 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 64.9 #259/294 Colorado Springs, CO 67.6 #267/294 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC 64.8 #258/294 Asheville, NC 64.8 #257/294

Information in States Bordering District of Columbia

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

Virginia 36.2 #9/51 Maryland 48.9 #40/51

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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria's information sector, the wage competitiveness component (97.3) 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment