NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA

Metro Market Score 63.6 (Difficult), ranked #295 of 378 metros. 992 establishments, 13,392 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 63.6
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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 90.7 and rising pressure at 79.3. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration
41.5
LQ: 1.10
Rank #157 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
90.7
$43,803 avg wage
Growth Trend
51.1
Employment growth index
Rank #186 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
79.3
YoY wage change index

992 Retail Trade Firms in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles

992
Establishments
-0.4% YoY
13,392
Total Employment
-0.2% YoY
$43,803
Average Annual Wage
+3.4% YoY
1.10
Location Quotient
Above national avg

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles vs California Statewide

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

Measure San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles CA Statewide
Overall Score 63.6 Difficult 44.0 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #295 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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles

Healthcare and Social Assistance 34.9 Other Services 38.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 46.9 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 49.2 Finance and Insurance 55.3 Information 58.7 Administrative and Support Services 58.9 Accommodation and Food Services 60.6 Construction 63.4

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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (90.7) 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.