NAICS 51

Information in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC

Metro Market Score 52.8 (Challenging), ranked #203 of 294 metros. 178 establishments, 434 jobs.

Metro Market Score 52.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal's information sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 13.3). That contraction, combined with a 52.8 market score, puts this metro in the lower half for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

15.7

LQ: 0.28

Rank #46 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

65.7

$88,088 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 13.3

Employment growth index

Rank #256 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

32.4

YoY wage change index

178 Information Firms in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal

178

Establishments

+10.6% YoY

434

Total Employment

-10.0% YoY

$88,088

Average Annual Wage

+16.8% YoY

0.28

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within South Carolina

#3 of 6

information metros in state

South Carolina state rank

#29 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

-2.2

better than median (55.1)

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal vs South Carolina Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to South Carolina overall. The state ranks #29/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal	SC Statewide
Overall Score	52.8 Challenging	46.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#203 of 294 metros	#29 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal

Healthcare and Social Assistance 39.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 51.6 Finance and Insurance 53.4 Administrative and Support Services 59.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 59.9 Retail Trade 62.9 Construction 66.9 Other Services 71.7 Accommodation and Food Services 76.8

Information in Other South Carolina Metros

Sumter 27.0 #46/294 Florence 47.0 #170/294 Greenville-Anderson-Greer 55.1 #216/294 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach 64.8 #258/294 Charleston-North Charleston 73.8 #286/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal's 52.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Mobile, AL 52.9 #204/294 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 53.0 #205/294 Longview-Kelso, WA 52.2 #202/294 Rochester, MN 53.6 #206/294 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 51.9 #201/294 Dover, DE 51.8 #200/294 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 53.8 #207/294 Saginaw, MI 53.9 #208/294 Gainesville, FL 53.9 #209/294 Cleveland, OH 51.7 #199/294

Information in States Bordering South Carolina

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

North Carolina 45.3 #28/51 Georgia 48.9 #39/51

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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal's information sector, the employment growth component (86.7) 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment