NAICS 51

Information in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

Metro Market Score 67.4 (Difficult), ranked #266 of 294 metros. 594 establishments, 10,585 jobs.

Metro Market Score 67.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

💰High-Cost Market

Milwaukee-Waukesha scores 67.4 on the Metro Market Score for information, placing it in the bottom 10%. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

78.2

LQ: 0.69

Rank #230 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

82.3

$108,392 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 24.8

Employment growth index

Rank #222 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

23.8

YoY wage change index

594 Information Firms in Milwaukee-Waukesha

594

Establishments

+5.5% YoY

10,585

Total Employment

-6.3% YoY

$108,392

Average Annual Wage

+7.1% YoY

0.69

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Wisconsin

#11 of 11

information metros in state

Wisconsin state rank

#14 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+24.3

worse than median (43.1)

Milwaukee-Waukesha vs Wisconsin Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Wisconsin overall. The state ranks #14/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Milwaukee-Waukesha	WI Statewide
Overall Score	67.4 Difficult	38.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#266 of 294 metros	#14 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha

Accommodation and Food Services 37.3 Retail Trade 39.2 Construction 49.1 Other Services 51.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 53.9 Administrative and Support Services 54.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 58.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 67.5 Finance and Insurance 74.4

Information in Other Wisconsin Metros

Sheboygan 12.3 #3/294 Racine-Mount Pleasant 19.7 #18/294 Wausau 19.9 #19/294 Kenosha 25.4 #38/294 Eau Claire 28.4 #53/294 La Crosse-Onalaska 43.1 #137/294 Janesville-Beloit 47.3 #172/294 Fond du Lac 47.4 #174/294 Oshkosh-Neenah 56.6 #219/294 Madison 58.8 #232/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Milwaukee-Waukesha's 67.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Kahului-Wailuku, HI 67.4 #265/294 Colorado Springs, CO 67.6 #267/294 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 67.8 #268/294 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 66.9 #264/294 Fort Smith, AR 66.8 #263/294 Boulder, CO 68.1 #269/294 Cheyenne, WY 68.2 #270/294 Bend, OR 68.5 #271/294 San Angelo, TX 68.5 #272/294 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC 66.2 #262/294

Information in States Bordering Wisconsin

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

Iowa 38.3 #15/51 Minnesota 42.6 #22/51 Michigan 47.2 #32/51 Illinois 48.5 #38/51

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 Milwaukee-Waukesha's information sector, the employment growth component (75.2) 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment