NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Montgomery, AL

Metro Market Score 49.9 (Challenging), ranked #137 of 378 metros. 1,363 establishments, 17,526 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

At #137 of 378 metros, Montgomery's retail trade sector scores 49.9 on the market index. Concentration (27.8), wage levels (41.8), and growth (32.5) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

27.8

LQ: 1.04

Rank #105 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

41.8

$36,736 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 32.5

Employment growth index

Rank #256 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

61.1

YoY wage change index

1,363 Retail Trade Firms in Montgomery

1,363

Establishments

+0.2% YoY

17,526

Total Employment

-1.3% YoY

$36,736

Average Annual Wage

-0.1% YoY

1.04

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Alabama

#6 of 12

retail trade metros in state

Alabama state rank

#36 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-1.9

better than median (51.8)

Montgomery vs Alabama Statewide

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

Measure	Montgomery	AL Statewide
Overall Score	49.9 Challenging	46.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#137 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 Montgomery

Construction 28.7

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 Birmingham 51.8 #161/378 Anniston-Oxford 52.9 #175/378 Mobile 54.9 #195/378 Florence-Muscle Shoals 61.9 #276/378 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley 62.9 #285/378

+ 1 more metros. View all in Alabama →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Montgomery's 49.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Odessa, TX 49.8 #135/378 York-Hanover, PA 49.8 #136/378 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 49.8 #134/378 Cincinnati, OH 49.8 #133/378 Yuma, AZ 50.0 #138/378 Bend, OR 50.0 #139/378 Charleston, WV 50.0 #140/378 Midland, MI 50.1 #141/378 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL 50.1 #142/378 Lubbock, TX 49.6 #132/378

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 Montgomery's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (67.5) 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 Montgomery, AL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment