NAICS 51

Information in State College, PA

Metro Market Score 48.3 (Challenging), ranked #180 of 294 metros. 63 establishments, 939 jobs.

Metro Market Score 48.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

📈Rapid Growth

State College ranks in the lower half for information market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 48.3, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

81.0

LQ: 0.73

Rank #238 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

72.8

$95,112 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 82.7

Employment growth index

Rank #52 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

23.2

YoY wage change index

63 Information Firms in State College

Establishments

+3.3% YoY

939

Total Employment

+2.2% YoY

$95,112

Average Annual Wage

+6.5% YoY

0.73

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#13 of 14

information metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#4 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+6.5

worse than median (41.8)

State College vs Pennsylvania Statewide

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

Measure	State College	PA Statewide
Overall Score	48.3 Challenging	31.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#180 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 State College

Other Services 30.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.5 Administrative and Support Services 40.5 Accommodation and Food Services 41.8 Construction 46.0 Retail Trade 48.9 Finance and Insurance 49.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 59.6

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 State College's 48.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Greeley, CO 48.3 #181/294 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 48.5 #182/294 Ogden, UT 48.1 #179/294 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY 48.7 #183/294 Springfield, OH 47.9 #177/294 Glens Falls, NY 47.9 #178/294 Boise City, ID 47.8 #176/294 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI 48.9 #184/294 Greensboro-High Point, NC 49.0 #185/294 Winchester, VA 47.6 #175/294

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 State College's information sector, the industry concentration component (81.0) 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 State College, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment