NAICS 51

Information in Altoona, PA

Metro Market Score 46.0 (Moderate), ranked #159 of 294 metros. 42 establishments, 679 jobs.

Metro Market Score 46.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Information wages in Altoona run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 10.9), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 21.0. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

70.4

LQ: 0.62

Rank #207 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

10.9

$55,955 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 28.6

Employment growth index

Rank #211 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

21.0

YoY wage change index

42 Information Firms in Altoona

Establishments

+0.0% YoY

679

Total Employment

-5.6% YoY

$55,955

Average Annual Wage

+4.0% YoY

0.62

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#11 of 14

information metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#4 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+4.2

worse than median (41.8)

Altoona vs Pennsylvania Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Pennsylvania overall. The state ranks #4/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Altoona	PA Statewide
Overall Score	46.0 Moderate	31.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#159 of 294 metros	#4 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 Altoona

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 21.4 Construction 29.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 35.8 Accommodation and Food Services 42.1 Administrative and Support Services 43.1 Finance and Insurance 44.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 49.9 Retail Trade 51.7 Other Services 53.6

Information in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Gettysburg 14.4 #6/294 Reading 17.4 #15/294 Chambersburg 26.7 #42/294 Williamsport 30.8 #62/294 Erie 32.4 #74/294 York-Hanover 33.4 #77/294 Lebanon 40.6 #119/294 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre 41.8 #126/294 Harrisburg-Carlisle 44.6 #150/294 Lancaster 45.4 #156/294

+ 3 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Altoona's 46.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Barnstable Town, MA 46.0 #160/294 Rapid City, SD 45.8 #158/294 Johnstown, PA 46.2 #161/294 Santa Fe, NM 46.2 #162/294 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 46.2 #163/294 Abilene, TX 46.4 #164/294 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 46.4 #165/294 Rockford, IL 46.5 #166/294 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 45.4 #157/294 Lancaster, PA 45.4 #156/294

Information in States Bordering Pennsylvania

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

West Virginia 37.3 #11/51 Ohio 44.4 #26/51 Delaware 48.0 #36/51 Maryland 48.9 #40/51 New York 50.5 #42/51 New Jersey 52.0 #46/51

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 Altoona's information sector, the employment growth component (71.4) 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 Altoona, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment