NAICS 51

Information in Rockford, IL

Metro Market Score 46.5 (Moderate), ranked #166 of 294 metros. 82 establishments, 1,165 jobs.

Metro Market Score 46.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Information conditions in Rockford are mixed. The 46.5 market score puts it at #166 of 294, with no metric pulling sharply in either direction. Wages, growth, and competition are all within a normal range for this industry.

Industry Concentration

46.9

LQ: 0.45

Rank #138 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

44.2

$74,201 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 34.0

Employment growth index

Rank #195 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

19.3

YoY wage change index

82 Information Firms in Rockford

Establishments

-1.2% YoY

1,165

Total Employment

-4.6% YoY

$74,201

Average Annual Wage

+2.1% YoY

0.45

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Illinois

#4 of 5

information metros in state

Illinois state rank

#38 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+13.4

worse than median (33.1)

Rockford vs Illinois Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Illinois overall. The state ranks #38/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Rockford	IL Statewide
Overall Score	46.5 Moderate	48.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#166 of 294 metros	#38 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 Rockford

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.5 Construction 39.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 42.8 Administrative and Support Services 44.0 Other Services 50.7 Finance and Insurance 53.0 Accommodation and Food Services 54.4 Retail Trade 60.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 69.1

Information in Other Illinois Metros

Decatur 14.3 #5/294 Bloomington 18.0 #16/294 Kankakee 33.1 #76/294 Champaign-Urbana 58.6 #229/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Rockford's 46.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Abilene, TX 46.4 #164/294 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 46.4 #165/294 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 46.6 #167/294 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 46.2 #163/294 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 46.7 #168/294 Santa Fe, NM 46.2 #162/294 Johnstown, PA 46.2 #161/294 Greenville, NC 46.9 #169/294 Altoona, PA 46.0 #159/294 Barnstable Town, MA 46.0 #160/294

Information in States Bordering Illinois

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

Kentucky 32.6 #6/51 Missouri 36.8 #10/51 Wisconsin 38.1 #14/51 Iowa 38.3 #15/51 Indiana 40.2 #19/51

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 Rockford's information sector, the employment growth component (66.0) 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 Rockford, IL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment