NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Colorado Springs, CO

Metro Market Score 54.1 (Challenging), ranked #190 of 378 metros. 2,007 establishments, 33,290 jobs.

Metro Market Score 54.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market

Colorado Springs stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 77.8 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 66.8 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

28.8

LQ: 1.05

Rank #109 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

77.8

$41,030 avg wage

Growth Trend

52.9

Employment growth index

Rank #179 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

66.8

YoY wage change index

2,007 Retail Trade Firms in Colorado Springs

2,007

Establishments

-5.1% YoY

33,290

Total Employment

-0.1% YoY

$41,030

Average Annual Wage

+1.0% YoY

1.05

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Colorado

#2 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Colorado state rank

#23 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-4.1

better than median (58.3)

Colorado Springs vs Colorado Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Colorado overall. The state ranks #23/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Colorado Springs	CO Statewide
Overall Score	54.1 Challenging	42.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#190 of 378 metros	#23 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 Colorado Springs

Healthcare and Social Assistance 43.5 Construction 56.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 63.2 Administrative and Support Services 64.7 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 66.4 Other Services 66.9 Information 67.6 Finance and Insurance 68.5 Accommodation and Food Services 78.6

Retail Trade in Other Colorado Metros

Greeley 48.0 #109/378 Fort Collins-Loveland 57.8 #229/378 Boulder 58.3 #234/378 Grand Junction 67.2 #322/378 Pueblo 74.5 #365/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Colorado Springs's 54.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

St. Cloud, MN 54.1 #189/378 Beckley, WV 54.2 #191/378 Helena, MT 54.2 #192/378 Athens-Clarke County, GA 54.2 #193/378 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 54.0 #188/378 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 54.0 #187/378 Harrisonburg, VA 53.9 #186/378 El Paso, TX 53.7 #185/378 Salinas, CA 53.7 #184/378 Green Bay, WI 53.7 #183/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Colorado

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

Nebraska 35.9 #2/51 New Mexico 39.9 #11/51 Utah 40.3 #13/51 Kansas 40.4 #14/51 Arizona 44.9 #32/51 Wyoming 44.9 #33/51 Oklahoma 46.3 #35/51

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 Colorado Springs's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (77.8) 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 Colorado Springs, CO MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment