NAICS 51

Information in St. Cloud, MN

Metro Market Score 57.9 (Challenging), ranked #226 of 294 metros. 80 establishments, 1,148 jobs.

Metro Market Score 57.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

St. Cloud scores 57.9 on the Metro Market Score for information, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

67.3

LQ: 0.59

Rank #198 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

54.4

$79,343 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 21.4

Employment growth index

Rank #232 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

19.5

YoY wage change index

80 Information Firms in St. Cloud

Establishments

-1.2% YoY

1,148

Total Employment

-6.9% YoY

$79,343

Average Annual Wage

+2.3% YoY

0.59

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Minnesota

#4 of 5

information metros in state

Minnesota state rank

#22 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+3.6

worse than median (54.3)

St. Cloud vs Minnesota Statewide

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

Measure	St. Cloud	MN Statewide
Overall Score	57.9 Challenging	42.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#226 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 St. Cloud

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 15.9 Accommodation and Food Services 39.7 Other Services 43.9 Retail Trade 54.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 57.2 Finance and Insurance 58.9 Administrative and Support Services 60.4 Construction 62.4

Information in Other Minnesota Metros

Duluth 30.9 #64/294 Rochester 53.6 #206/294 Mankato 54.3 #212/294 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 64.3 #256/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of St. Cloud's 57.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Syracuse, NY 57.8 #225/294 Springfield, MA 58.5 #227/294 Lexington-Fayette, KY 57.3 #223/294 Youngstown-Warren, OH 57.3 #224/294 Dubuque, IA 58.5 #228/294 Burlington-South Burlington, VT 57.2 #222/294 Champaign-Urbana, IL 58.6 #229/294 Charlottesville, VA 57.1 #221/294 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 58.7 #230/294 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 58.7 #231/294

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 St. Cloud's information sector, the employment growth component (78.6) 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 St. Cloud, MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment