NAICS 51

Information in Grand Forks, ND

Metro Market Score 62.6 (Difficult), ranked #251 of 294 metros. 74 establishments, 524 jobs.

Metro Market Score 62.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Grand Forks's information sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 11.2). That contraction, combined with a 62.6 market score, puts this metro in the bottom quartile for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

60.5

LQ: 0.53

Rank #178 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

63.6

$86,537 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 11.2

Employment growth index

Rank #262 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

24.6

YoY wage change index

74 Information Firms in Grand Forks

Establishments

-8.6% YoY

524

Total Employment

-10.7% YoY

$86,537

Average Annual Wage

+8.1% YoY

0.53

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within North Dakota

#2 of 3

information metros in state

North Dakota state rank

#1 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (62.6)

Grand Forks vs North Dakota Statewide

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

Measure	Grand Forks	ND Statewide
Overall Score	62.6 Difficult	28.8 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#251 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 Grand Forks

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 23.1 Finance and Insurance 38.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 42.0 Accommodation and Food Services 43.1 Construction 45.5 Retail Trade 47.2 Other Services 47.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 68.2

Information in Other North Dakota Metros

Bismarck 38.4 #103/294 Fargo 71.5 #281/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Grand Forks's 62.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Medford, OR 62.5 #250/294 Urban Honolulu, HI 62.5 #249/294 Rochester, NY 62.4 #248/294 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 63.0 #252/294 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 62.1 #247/294 Jacksonville, FL 61.7 #246/294 Pittsburgh, PA 61.7 #245/294 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 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 Grand Forks's information sector, the employment growth component (88.8) 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 Grand Forks, ND-MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment