NAICS 51

Information in Fargo, ND

Metro Market Score 71.5 (Difficult), ranked #281 of 294 metros. 332 establishments, 2,325 jobs.

Metro Market Score 71.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

💰High-Cost Market

Market conditions for information in Fargo are tougher than average. The 71.5 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, slowing employment, and an already crowded field. Rank: #281 of 294 metros.

Industry Concentration

87.4

LQ: 0.84

Rank #257 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

86.4

$121,289 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 21.1

Employment growth index

Rank #233 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

21.8

YoY wage change index

332 Information Firms in Fargo

332

Establishments

+4.7% YoY

2,325

Total Employment

-6.9% YoY

$121,289

Average Annual Wage

+4.9% YoY

0.84

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within North Dakota

#3 of 3

information metros in state

North Dakota state rank

#1 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+8.9

worse than median (62.6)

Fargo vs North Dakota Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to North Dakota overall. The state ranks #1/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Fargo	ND Statewide
Overall Score	71.5 Difficult	28.8 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#281 of 294 metros	#1 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 Fargo

Accommodation and Food Services 35.3 Retail Trade 42.5 Administrative and Support Services 53.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 54.2 Construction 54.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 59.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 64.7 Other Services 67.5 Finance and Insurance 72.7

Information in Other North Dakota Metros

Bismarck 38.4 #103/294 Grand Forks 62.6 #251/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fargo's 71.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 71.5 #282/294 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 71.4 #280/294 Cedar Rapids, IA 70.9 #279/294 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR 70.7 #278/294 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 70.7 #277/294 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA 72.6 #283/294 Omaha, NE 70.4 #276/294 Manchester-Nashua, NH 70.3 #275/294 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 73.1 #284/294 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT 73.2 #285/294

Information in States Bordering North Dakota

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

Montana 33.2 #7/51 South Dakota 33.6 #8/51 Minnesota 42.6 #22/51

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 Fargo's information sector, the employment growth component (78.9) 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 Fargo, ND-MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment