NAICS 51

Information in Rochester, MN

Metro Market Score 53.6 (Challenging), ranked #206 of 294 metros. 89 establishments, 941 jobs.

Metro Market Score 53.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Rochester's information sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 6.8). That contraction, combined with a 53.6 market score, puts this metro in the lower half for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

41.8

LQ: 0.41

Rank #123 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

38.8

$71,046 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 6.8

Employment growth index

Rank #275 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

27.3

YoY wage change index

89 Information Firms in Rochester

Establishments

-3.3% YoY

941

Total Employment

-15.1% YoY

$71,046

Average Annual Wage

+11.1% YoY

0.41

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Minnesota

#2 of 5

information metros in state

Minnesota state rank

#22 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

-0.8

better than median (54.3)

Rochester vs Minnesota Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Minnesota overall. The state ranks #22/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Rochester	MN Statewide
Overall Score	53.6 Challenging	42.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#206 of 294 metros	#22 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 Rochester

Retail Trade 32.2 Other Services 39.6 Accommodation and Food Services 45.0 Construction 46.2

Information in Other Minnesota Metros

Duluth 30.9 #64/294 Mankato 54.3 #212/294 St. Cloud 57.9 #226/294 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 64.3 #256/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Rochester's 53.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 53.8 #207/294 Saginaw, MI 53.9 #208/294 Gainesville, FL 53.9 #209/294 Ithaca, NY 54.0 #210/294 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 53.0 #205/294 Mobile, AL 52.9 #204/294 Albuquerque, NM 54.3 #211/294 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC 52.8 #203/294 Mankato, MN 54.3 #212/294 College Station-Bryan, TX 54.4 #213/294

Information in States Bordering Minnesota

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

North Dakota 28.8 #1/51 South Dakota 33.6 #8/51 Wisconsin 38.1 #14/51 Iowa 38.3 #15/51

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 Rochester's information sector, the employment growth component (93.2) 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 Rochester, MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment