NAICS 51

Information in Cleveland, OH

Metro Market Score 51.7 (Challenging), ranked #199 of 294 metros. 1,441 establishments, 12,442 jobs.

Metro Market Score 51.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

💰High-Cost Market

Cleveland pairs above-average information concentration (73.1) with positive employment growth (trend: 65.0). The market is competitive but still expanding, leaving room for well-positioned new entrants.

Industry Concentration

73.1

LQ: 0.64

Rank #215 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

77.5

$101,369 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 65.0

Employment growth index

Rank #104 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

17.4

YoY wage change index

1,441 Information Firms in Cleveland

1,441

Establishments

+100.0% YoY

12,442

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$101,369

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

0.64

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Ohio

#7 of 9

information metros in state

Ohio state rank

#26 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+6.9

worse than median (44.8)

Cleveland vs Ohio Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Ohio overall. The state ranks #26/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Cleveland	OH Statewide
Overall Score	51.7 Challenging	44.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#199 of 294 metros	#26 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 Cleveland

Retail Trade 38.7 Construction 47.0 Accommodation and Food Services 48.6 Administrative and Support Services 56.7 Other Services 57.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 58.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62.4 Finance and Insurance 63.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 69.5

Information in Other Ohio Metros

Mansfield 20.0 #20/294 Sandusky 22.0 #26/294 Canton-Massillon 40.0 #115/294 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek 44.2 #147/294 Toledo 44.8 #151/294 Springfield 47.9 #177/294 Youngstown-Warren 57.3 #224/294 Akron 60.9 #240/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Cleveland's 51.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 51.6 #198/294 Dover, DE 51.8 #200/294 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 51.9 #201/294 Chattanooga, TN 51.3 #197/294 Longview-Kelso, WA 52.2 #202/294 Sioux City, IA 51.0 #196/294 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 51.0 #195/294 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 50.6 #194/294 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC 52.8 #203/294 Mobile, AL 52.9 #204/294

Information in States Bordering Ohio

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

Pennsylvania 31.8 #4/51 Kentucky 32.6 #6/51 West Virginia 37.3 #11/51 Indiana 40.2 #19/51 Michigan 47.2 #32/51

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 Cleveland's information sector, the wage competitiveness component (77.5) 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 Cleveland, OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment