NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Flagstaff, AZ

Metro Market Score 64.4 (Difficult), ranked #305 of 378 metros. 448 establishments, 7,061 jobs.

Metro Market Score 64.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

⚡Rising Wages

Retail Trade employment in Flagstaff contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the bottom quartile at 13.8. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

33.3

LQ: 1.07

Rank #126 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

59.5

$38,685 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 13.8

Employment growth index

Rank #327 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

76.7

YoY wage change index

448 Retail Trade Firms in Flagstaff

448

Establishments

+1.6% YoY

7,061

Total Employment

-2.5% YoY

$38,685

Average Annual Wage

+2.9% YoY

1.07

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Arizona

#7 of 7

retail trade metros in state

Arizona state rank

#32 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+5.5

worse than median (59.0)

Flagstaff vs Arizona Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Arizona overall. The state ranks #32/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Flagstaff	AZ Statewide
Overall Score	64.4 Difficult	44.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#305 of 378 metros	#32 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 Flagstaff

Administrative and Support Services 21.1 Construction 22.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 26.5 Information 27.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 32.0 Finance and Insurance 42.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.6 Other Services 53.3 Accommodation and Food Services 67.0

Retail Trade in Other Arizona Metros

Sierra Vista-Douglas 42.9 #69/378 Yuma 50.0 #138/378 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 58.7 #241/378 Lake Havasu City-Kingman 59.0 #244/378 Tucson 60.5 #260/378 Prescott Valley-Prescott 63.2 #288/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Flagstaff's 64.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Kingston, NY 64.4 #304/378 Punta Gorda, FL 64.5 #306/378 Flint, MI 64.6 #307/378 Billings, MT 64.3 #303/378 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 64.7 #308/378 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 64.1 #302/378 St. George, UT 64.8 #309/378 Modesto, CA 64.0 #301/378 Elizabethtown, KY 64.0 #300/378 Elmira, NY 63.9 #299/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Arizona

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

Nevada 37.0 #3/51 New Mexico 39.9 #11/51 Utah 40.3 #13/51 Colorado 42.9 #23/51 California 44.0 #28/51

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 Flagstaff's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (86.2) 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 Flagstaff, AZ MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment