NAICS 51

Information in Rochester, NY

Metro Market Score 62.4 (Difficult), ranked #248 of 294 metros. 460 establishments, 5,490 jobs.

Metro Market Score 62.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Rochester's information sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 16.7). That contraction, combined with a 62.4 market score, puts this metro in the bottom quartile for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

67.0

LQ: 0.59

Rank #197 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

66.0

$88,889 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 16.7

Employment growth index

Rank #246 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

20.6

YoY wage change index

460 Information Firms in Rochester

460

Establishments

-2.3% YoY

5,490

Total Employment

-8.6% YoY

$88,889

Average Annual Wage

+3.5% YoY

0.59

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within New York

#11 of 12

information metros in state

New York state rank

#42 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+13.7

worse than median (48.7)

Rochester vs New York Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to New York overall. The state ranks #42/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Rochester	NY Statewide
Overall Score	62.4 Difficult	50.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#248 of 294 metros	#42 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

Accommodation and Food Services 51.5 Administrative and Support Services 55.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.0 Other Services 59.3 Construction 59.5 Retail Trade 62.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 68.3 Finance and Insurance 69.3

Information in Other New York Metros

Elmira 37.0 #99/294 Watertown-Fort Drum 38.7 #105/294 Kingston 40.7 #120/294 Utica-Rome 43.3 #140/294 Buffalo-Cheektowaga 46.2 #163/294 Glens Falls 47.9 #178/294 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh 48.7 #183/294 Ithaca 54.0 #210/294 Binghamton 54.9 #215/294 Syracuse 57.8 #225/294

+ 1 more metros. View all in New York →

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Rochester's 62.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Urban Honolulu, HI 62.5 #249/294 Medford, OR 62.5 #250/294 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 62.1 #247/294 Grand Forks, ND 62.6 #251/294 Jacksonville, FL 61.7 #246/294 Pittsburgh, PA 61.7 #245/294 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 63.0 #252/294 Lansing-East Lansing, MI 61.6 #244/294 Providence-Warwick, RI 61.6 #243/294 Ann Arbor, MI 61.6 #242/294

Information in States Bordering New York

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

Pennsylvania 31.8 #4/51 Massachusetts 40.2 #17/51 Vermont 45.1 #27/51 New Jersey 52.0 #46/51 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 Rochester's information sector, the employment growth component (83.3) 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 Rochester, NY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment