NAICS 51

Information in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA

Metro Market Score 72.6 (Difficult), ranked #283 of 294 metros. 5,119 establishments, 76,787 jobs.

Metro Market Score 72.6

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

Boston-Cambridge-Newton is a specialized hub for information, with a location quotient of 1.51 and industry concentration in the bottom 10%. Higher-than-average firm density means more competition for talent and customers, but also a deeper local supply chain and client pool.

Industry Concentration

96.3

LQ: 1.51

Rank #283 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

98.3

$201,635 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 38.8

Employment growth index

Rank #181 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

27.8

YoY wage change index

5,119 Information Firms in Boston-Cambridge-Newton

5,119

Establishments

-4.8% YoY

76,787

Total Employment

-3.8% YoY

$201,635

Average Annual Wage

+11.6% YoY

1.51

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Massachusetts

#6 of 6

information metros in state

Massachusetts state rank

#17 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+14.1

worse than median (58.5)

Boston-Cambridge-Newton vs Massachusetts Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Massachusetts overall. The state ranks #17/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Boston-Cambridge-Newton	MA Statewide
Overall Score	72.6 Difficult	40.2 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#283 of 294 metros	#17 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton

Accommodation and Food Services 54.2 Retail Trade 56.0 Construction 63.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 66.6 Other Services 67.7 Administrative and Support Services 69.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 70.3 Finance and Insurance 79.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 80.3

Information in Other Massachusetts Metros

Amherst Town-Northampton 43.3 #138/294 Barnstable Town 46.0 #160/294 Pittsfield 54.5 #214/294 Springfield 58.5 #227/294 Worcester 65.6 #260/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Boston-Cambridge-Newton's 72.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 73.1 #284/294 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT 73.2 #285/294 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 71.5 #282/294 Fargo, ND 71.5 #281/294 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 71.4 #280/294 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 73.8 #286/294 Raleigh-Cary, NC 74.2 #287/294 Cedar Rapids, IA 70.9 #279/294 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR 70.7 #278/294 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 70.7 #277/294

Information in States Bordering Massachusetts

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

Rhode Island 39.9 #16/51 Vermont 45.1 #27/51 New Hampshire 47.8 #35/51 New York 50.5 #42/51 Connecticut 54.5 #47/51

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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton's information sector, the wage competitiveness component (98.3) 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment