NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

Metro Market Score 42.1 (Moderate), ranked #58 of 378 metros. 2,651 establishments, 39,218 jobs.

Metro Market Score 42.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway ranks in the top quartile for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 42.1, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

41.0

LQ: 1.10

Rank #155 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

52.4

$37,808 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 85.7

Employment growth index

Rank #55 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.5

YoY wage change index

2,651 Retail Trade Firms in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway

2,651

Establishments

-1.6% YoY

39,218

Total Employment

+1.8% YoY

$37,808

Average Annual Wage

+2.1% YoY

1.10

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Arkansas

#1 of 5

retail trade metros in state

Arkansas state rank

#44 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-18.1

better than median (60.2)

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway vs Arkansas Statewide

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

Measure	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway	AR Statewide
Overall Score	42.1 Moderate	51.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#58 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway

Construction 38.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 50.3 Finance and Insurance 62.8

Retail Trade in Other Arkansas Metros

Jonesboro 47.4 #104/378 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway's 42.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Lawrence, KS 42.2 #59/378 Trenton-Princeton, NJ 42.0 #57/378 Iowa City, IA 42.0 #56/378 Peoria, IL 42.4 #60/378 Wilmington, NC 42.4 #61/378 Gadsden, AL 41.9 #55/378 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 42.4 #62/378 Pittsburgh, PA 42.5 #63/378 Fargo, ND 42.5 #64/378 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 42.7 #65/378

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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (72.5) 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment