NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Fairbanks-College, AK

Metro Market Score 74.3 (Difficult), ranked #362 of 378 metros. 257 establishments, 4,581 jobs.

Metro Market Score 74.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Fairbanks-College stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 92.1 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 89.1 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

72.2

LQ: 1.24

Rank #273 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

92.1

$44,032 avg wage

Growth Trend

48.7

Employment growth index

Rank #195 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

89.1

YoY wage change index

257 Retail Trade Firms in Fairbanks-College

257

Establishments

+0.4% YoY

4,581

Total Employment

-0.2% YoY

$44,032

Average Annual Wage

+5.3% YoY

1.24

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Alaska

#2 of 2

retail trade metros in state

Alaska state rank

#5 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (74.3)

Fairbanks-College vs Alaska Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Alaska overall. The state ranks #5/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Fairbanks-College	AK Statewide
Overall Score	74.3 Difficult	37.2 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#362 of 378 metros	#5 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 Fairbanks-College

Finance and Insurance 28.8 Information 35.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 40.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 43.0 Administrative and Support Services 51.9 Other Services 57.2 Construction 58.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 64.6 Accommodation and Food Services 80.4

Retail Trade in Other Alaska Metros

Anchorage 72.7 #351/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fairbanks-College's 74.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 74.3 #363/378 Chico, CA 74.5 #364/378 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 74.0 #361/378 Pueblo, CO 74.5 #365/378 Worcester, MA 74.0 #360/378 Ogden, UT 74.6 #366/378 Ocala, FL 73.6 #359/378 Hattiesburg, MS 73.6 #358/378 Tyler, TX 73.4 #357/378 Eugene-Springfield, OR 75.4 #367/378

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 Fairbanks-College's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (92.1) 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 Fairbanks-College, AK MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment