NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Jonesboro, AR

Metro Market Score 47.4 (Moderate), ranked #104 of 378 metros. 499 establishments, 7,249 jobs.

Metro Market Score 47.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

Employment in Jonesboro's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 65.3. Combined with a 47.4 market score, this metro sits in the upper half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

65.9

LQ: 1.21

Rank #249 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

28.8

$35,668 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 65.3

Employment growth index

Rank #132 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

66.8

YoY wage change index

499 Retail Trade Firms in Jonesboro

499

Establishments

-1.6% YoY

7,249

Total Employment

+0.2% YoY

$35,668

Average Annual Wage

+1.0% YoY

1.21

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Arkansas

#2 of 5

retail trade metros in state

Arkansas state rank

#44 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-12.8

better than median (60.2)

Jonesboro vs Arkansas Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Arkansas overall. The state ranks #44/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Jonesboro	AR Statewide
Overall Score	47.4 Moderate	51.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#104 of 378 metros	#44 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 Jonesboro

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 16.1 Finance and Insurance 27.0 Construction 39.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 50.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 51.4

Retail Trade in Other Arkansas Metros

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway 42.1 #58/378 Fort Smith 60.2 #255/378 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers 62.9 #284/378 Hot Springs 71.6 #347/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Jonesboro's 47.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY 47.4 #103/378 St. Louis, MO 47.5 #105/378 Cleveland, TN 47.2 #102/378 Grand Forks, ND 47.2 #101/378 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 47.7 #106/378 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI 47.1 #100/378 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 47.0 #99/378 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 47.9 #107/378 Corpus Christi, TX 47.9 #108/378 Columbus, OH 46.9 #98/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Arkansas

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

Texas 41.6 #17/51 Tennessee 42.8 #22/51 Oklahoma 46.3 #35/51 Missouri 50.6 #42/51 Louisiana 52.3 #46/51 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 Jonesboro's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (65.9) 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 Jonesboro, AR MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment