NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in El Centro, CA

Metro Market Score 53.6 (Challenging), ranked #180 of 378 metros. 444 establishments, 8,192 jobs.

Metro Market Score 53.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

El Centro pairs above-average retail trade concentration (69.0) with positive employment growth (trend: 56.4). The market is competitive but still expanding, leaving room for well-positioned new entrants.

Industry Concentration

69.0

LQ: 1.22

Rank #261 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

32.0

$35,892 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 56.4

Employment growth index

Rank #166 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

76.2

YoY wage change index

444 Retail Trade Firms in El Centro

444

Establishments

+2.5% YoY

8,192

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$35,892

Average Annual Wage

+2.8% YoY

1.22

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within California

#5 of 25

retail trade metros in state

California state rank

#28 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-7.0

better than median (60.6)

El Centro vs California Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to California overall. The state ranks #28/51 for entry risk.

Measure	El Centro	CA Statewide
Overall Score	53.6 Challenging	44.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#180 of 378 metros	#28 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 El Centro

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 10.5 Information 12.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 21.7 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 22.5 Finance and Insurance 28.6 Construction 31.0 Administrative and Support Services 37.6 Other Services 43.8 Accommodation and Food Services 54.7

Retail Trade in Other California Metros

Fresno 35.8 #28/378 Visalia 38.4 #39/378 Napa 38.8 #43/378 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara 51.6 #157/378 Salinas 53.7 #184/378 Hanford-Corcoran 55.6 #204/378 Merced 56.2 #211/378 Bakersfield-Delano 56.4 #213/378 Yuba City 56.6 #215/378 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 58.5 #239/378

+ 14 more metros. View all in California →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of El Centro's 53.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Casper, WY 53.6 #181/378 Albany, GA 53.6 #182/378 Green Bay, WI 53.7 #183/378 Salinas, CA 53.7 #184/378 El Paso, TX 53.7 #185/378 Bloomington, IL 53.4 #179/378 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA 53.3 #178/378 Lewiston-Auburn, ME 53.3 #177/378 Harrisonburg, VA 53.9 #186/378 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 54.0 #187/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering California

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

Nevada 37.0 #3/51 Oregon 42.9 #24/51 Arizona 44.9 #32/51

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 El Centro's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (69.0) 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 El Centro, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment