NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Dothan, AL

Metro Market Score 72.8 (Difficult), ranked #352 of 378 metros. 700 establishments, 9,240 jobs.

Metro Market Score 72.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national retail trade average.

🏭Industry Hub⚡Rising Wages

Dothan is a specialized hub for retail trade, with a location quotient of 1.54 and industry concentration in the bottom 10%. Higher-than-average firm density means more competition for talent and customers, but also a deeper local supply chain and client pool.

Industry Concentration

97.1

LQ: 1.54

Rank #367 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

44.7

$37,039 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 24.3

Employment growth index

Rank #287 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

73.1

YoY wage change index

700 Retail Trade Firms in Dothan

700

Establishments

-0.8% YoY

9,240

Total Employment

-1.7% YoY

$37,039

Average Annual Wage

+2.2% YoY

1.54

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Alabama

#12 of 12

retail trade metros in state

Alabama state rank

#36 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+21.0

worse than median (51.8)

Dothan vs Alabama Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Alabama overall. The state ranks #36/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Dothan	AL Statewide
Overall Score	72.8 Difficult	46.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#352 of 378 metros	#36 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 Dothan

Construction 27.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 41.1 Finance and Insurance 48.5

Retail Trade in Other Alabama Metros

Tuscaloosa 32.9 #14/378 Auburn-Opelika 35.6 #27/378 Decatur 37.0 #31/378 Gadsden 41.9 #55/378 Huntsville 44.8 #81/378 Montgomery 49.9 #137/378 Birmingham 51.8 #161/378 Anniston-Oxford 52.9 #175/378 Mobile 54.9 #195/378 Florence-Muscle Shoals 61.9 #276/378

+ 1 more metros. View all in Alabama →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Dothan's 72.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Asheville, NC 72.8 #353/378 Anchorage, AK 72.7 #351/378 Carson City, NV 72.9 #354/378 Abilene, TX 72.9 #355/378 Victoria, TX 73.0 #356/378 Vallejo, CA 72.3 #350/378 Tyler, TX 73.4 #357/378 Hattiesburg, MS 73.6 #358/378 Grants Pass, OR 71.9 #349/378 Ocala, FL 73.6 #359/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Alabama

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

Tennessee 42.8 #22/51 Georgia 47.5 #38/51 Florida 51.0 #43/51 Mississippi 59.2 #51/51

Browse Retail Trade in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for retail trade 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 Dothan's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (97.1) 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 Dothan, AL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment