NAICS 51

Information in Bellingham, WA

Metro Market Score 55.4 (Challenging), ranked #217 of 294 metros. 226 establishments, 1,195 jobs.

Metro Market Score 55.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

💰High-Cost Market

Market conditions for information in Bellingham are tougher than average. The 55.4 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, mixed growth signals, and an already crowded field. Rank: #217 of 294 metros.

Industry Concentration

76.9

LQ: 0.68

Rank #226 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

84.3

$115,574 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 62.9

Employment growth index

Rank #110 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

20.0

YoY wage change index

226 Information Firms in Bellingham

226

Establishments

+10.8% YoY

1,195

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$115,574

Average Annual Wage

+2.9% YoY

0.68

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Washington

#7 of 10

information metros in state

Washington state rank

#49 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+3.3

worse than median (52.2)

Bellingham vs Washington Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Washington overall. The state ranks #49/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Bellingham	WA Statewide
Overall Score	55.4 Challenging	55.7 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#217 of 294 metros	#49 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 Bellingham

Administrative and Support Services 43.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 47.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 50.5 Retail Trade 58.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 60.1 Finance and Insurance 61.5 Other Services 70.1 Accommodation and Food Services 74.1 Construction 77.4

Information in Other Washington Metros

Yakima 30.0 #61/294 Kennewick-Richland 31.1 #65/294 Walla Walla 42.9 #136/294 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard 45.2 #154/294 Mount Vernon-Anacortes 47.3 #173/294 Longview-Kelso 52.2 #202/294 Spokane-Spokane Valley 58.7 #230/294 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 64.9 #259/294 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 75.6 #289/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Bellingham's 55.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Tulsa, OK 55.6 #218/294 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC 55.1 #216/294 Binghamton, NY 54.9 #215/294 Pittsfield, MA 54.5 #214/294 College Station-Bryan, TX 54.4 #213/294 Mankato, MN 54.3 #212/294 Albuquerque, NM 54.3 #211/294 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 56.6 #219/294 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC 56.8 #220/294 Ithaca, NY 54.0 #210/294

Information in States Bordering Washington

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

Idaho 43.8 #24/51 Oregon 52.0 #45/51

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 Bellingham's information sector, the wage competitiveness component (84.3) 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 Bellingham, WA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment