NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Metro Market Score 63.5 (Difficult), ranked #291 of 378 metros. 4,161 establishments, 72,458 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 63.5
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

Wage costs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 100.0 and rising pressure at 74.1. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration
0.3
LQ: 0.64
Rank #1 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
100.0
$59,970 avg wage
Growth Trend
↓ 21.4
Employment growth index
Rank #298 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
74.1
YoY wage change index

4,161 Retail Trade Firms in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara

4,161
Establishments
-3.1% YoY
72,458
Total Employment
-2.0% YoY
$59,970
Average Annual Wage
+2.4% YoY
0.64
Location Quotient
Below national avg

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara vs California Statewide

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

Measure San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA Statewide
Overall Score 63.5 Difficult 44.0 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #291 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara

Healthcare and Social Assistance 42.4 Other Services 46.6 Accommodation and Food Services 53.3 Finance and Insurance 54.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 65.0 Construction 68.4 Administrative and Support Services 70.4 Information 71.4

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 El Centro 53.6 #180/378 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

+ 14 more metros. View all in California →

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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (100.0) 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

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.