NAICS 51

Information in Chattanooga, TN

Metro Market Score 51.3 (Challenging), ranked #197 of 294 metros. 688 establishments, 2,890 jobs.

Metro Market Score 51.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

💰High-Cost Market

Despite a mature information presence (concentration: 65.0), Chattanooga is still adding jobs in this sector. Growth trend sits at 64.6, and the overall 51.3 market score lands in the lower half. Established markets with growth are worth a closer look.

Industry Concentration

65.0

LQ: 0.57

Rank #191 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

83.7

$114,313 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 64.6

Employment growth index

Rank #105 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

17.4

YoY wage change index

688 Information Firms in Chattanooga

688

Establishments

+6.7% YoY

2,890

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$114,313

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

0.57

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Tennessee

#4 of 5

information metros in state

Tennessee state rank

#37 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+12.6

worse than median (38.7)

Chattanooga vs Tennessee Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Tennessee overall. The state ranks #37/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Chattanooga	TN Statewide
Overall Score	51.3 Challenging	48.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#197 of 294 metros	#37 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 Chattanooga

Retail Trade 38.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 41.4 Finance and Insurance 53.3 Other Services 61.3

Information in Other Tennessee Metros

Cleveland 20.5 #23/294 Morristown 36.9 #98/294 Kingsport-Bristol 38.7 #104/294 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin 59.9 #237/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Chattanooga's 51.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Sioux City, IA 51.0 #196/294 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 51.0 #195/294 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 51.6 #198/294 Cleveland, OH 51.7 #199/294 Dover, DE 51.8 #200/294 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 51.9 #201/294 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 50.6 #194/294 Coeur d'Alene, ID 50.4 #193/294 Longview-Kelso, WA 52.2 #202/294 Birmingham, AL 50.3 #192/294

Information in States Bordering Tennessee

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

Arkansas 30.0 #2/51 Alabama 32.1 #5/51 Kentucky 32.6 #6/51 Virginia 36.2 #9/51 Missouri 36.8 #10/51 Mississippi 43.1 #23/51 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 Chattanooga's information sector, the wage competitiveness component (83.7) 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 Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment