NAICS 51

Information in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA

Metro Market Score 64.9 (Difficult), ranked #259 of 294 metros. 264 establishments, 1,640 jobs.

Metro Market Score 64.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

💰High-Cost Market

Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater scores 64.9 on the Metro Market Score for information, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

77.2

LQ: 0.68

Rank #227 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

89.8

$129,648 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 41.8

Employment growth index

Rank #172 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

28.5

YoY wage change index

264 Information Firms in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater

264

Establishments

+1.9% YoY

1,640

Total Employment

-3.4% YoY

$129,648

Average Annual Wage

+12.4% YoY

0.68

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Washington

#9 of 10

information metros in state

Washington state rank

#49 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+12.7

worse than median (52.2)

Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater vs Washington Statewide

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

Measure	Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater	WA Statewide
Overall Score	64.9 Difficult	55.7 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#259 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater

Accommodation and Food Services 43.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 47.3 Finance and Insurance 47.4 Administrative and Support Services 52.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.4 Construction 64.3 Retail Trade 69.2 Other Services 69.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 71.5

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 Bellingham 55.4 #217/294 Spokane-Spokane Valley 58.7 #230/294 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 75.6 #289/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater's 64.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC 64.8 #258/294 Asheville, NC 64.8 #257/294 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN 64.3 #256/294 Worcester, MA 65.6 #260/294 Anchorage, AK 64.2 #255/294 Tucson, AZ 64.1 #254/294 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 64.0 #253/294 Corvallis, OR 66.2 #261/294 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC 66.2 #262/294 Fort Smith, AR 66.8 #263/294

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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater's information sector, the wage competitiveness component (89.8) 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment