NAICS 51

Information in Joplin, MO

Metro Market Score 37.7 (Moderate), ranked #101 of 294 metros. 58 establishments, 526 jobs.

Metro Market Score 37.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Information wages in Joplin run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 14.6), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 21.6. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

23.1

LQ: 0.32

Rank #68 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

14.6

$60,171 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 20.1

Employment growth index

Rank #236 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

21.6

YoY wage change index

58 Information Firms in Joplin

Establishments

+3.6% YoY

526

Total Employment

-7.2% YoY

$60,171

Average Annual Wage

+4.7% YoY

0.32

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Missouri

#1 of 1

information metros in state

Missouri state rank

#10 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (37.7)

Joplin vs Missouri Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Missouri overall. The state ranks #10/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Joplin	MO Statewide
Overall Score	37.7 Moderate	36.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#101 of 294 metros	#10 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 Joplin

Finance and Insurance 17.5 Construction 29.0 Administrative and Support Services 32.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 32.4 Other Services 32.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 34.7 Retail Trade 37.4

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Joplin's 37.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 37.9 #102/294 Bismarck, ND 38.4 #103/294 Visalia, CA 37.0 #100/294 Elmira, NY 37.0 #99/294 Morristown, TN 36.9 #98/294 Evansville, IN 36.9 #97/294 Pueblo, CO 36.9 #96/294 Traverse City, MI 36.9 #95/294 Kingsport-Bristol, TN 38.7 #104/294 Savannah, GA 36.8 #93/294

Information in States Bordering Missouri

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

Arkansas 30.0 #2/51 Kentucky 32.6 #6/51 Kansas 37.6 #12/51 Nebraska 37.8 #13/51 Iowa 38.3 #15/51 Oklahoma 40.2 #18/51 Tennessee 48.1 #37/51 Illinois 48.5 #38/51

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 Joplin's information sector, the employment growth component (79.9) 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 Joplin, MO-KS MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment