NAICS 51

Information in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

Metro Market Score 28.8 (Favorable), ranked #55 of 294 metros. 246 establishments, 2,059 jobs.

Metro Market Score 28.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

✓Favorable Market

Lakeland-Winter Haven ranks in the top quartile for information market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 28.8, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

43.2

LQ: 0.42

Rank #127 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

19.7

$62,184 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 69.0

Employment growth index

Rank #92 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

18.9

YoY wage change index

246 Information Firms in Lakeland-Winter Haven

246

Establishments

+1.7% YoY

2,059

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$62,184

Average Annual Wage

+1.6% YoY

0.42

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Florida

#3 of 21

information metros in state

Florida state rank

#30 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

-14.1

better than median (42.9)

Lakeland-Winter Haven vs Florida Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Florida overall. The state ranks #30/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lakeland-Winter Haven	FL Statewide
Overall Score	28.8 Favorable	46.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#55 of 294 metros	#30 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven

Healthcare and Social Assistance 31.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 37.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 42.7 Construction 43.2 Administrative and Support Services 58.7 Other Services 59.4 Retail Trade 61.6 Accommodation and Food Services 62.6 Finance and Insurance 64.6

Information in Other Florida Metros

Punta Gorda 22.9 #30/294 Wildwood-The Villages 27.7 #51/294 Ocala 30.8 #63/294 Naples-Marco Island 34.5 #80/294 Sebring 39.6 #112/294 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent 41.0 #122/294 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville 42.0 #129/294 Panama City-Panama City Beach 42.1 #130/294 Homosassa Springs 42.8 #134/294 Cape Coral-Fort Myers 42.9 #135/294

+ 10 more metros. View all in Florida →

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lakeland-Winter Haven's 28.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Bakersfield-Delano, CA 28.7 #54/294 Eau Claire, WI 28.4 #53/294 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 28.2 #52/294 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA 29.5 #56/294 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 29.5 #57/294 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 29.8 #58/294 Wildwood-The Villages, FL 27.7 #51/294 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 29.9 #59/294 Iowa City, IA 30.0 #60/294 Yakima, WA 30.0 #61/294

Information in States Bordering Florida

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

Alabama 32.1 #5/51 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven's information sector, the industry concentration component (43.2) 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment