NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO

Metro Market Score 57.8 (Challenging), ranked #229 of 378 metros. 1,198 establishments, 19,158 jobs.

Metro Market Score 57.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Market conditions for retail trade in Fort Collins-Loveland are tougher than average. The 57.8 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, mixed growth signals, and moderate competition. Rank: #229 of 378 metros.

Industry Concentration

37.3

LQ: 1.09

Rank #141 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

69.6

$39,989 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 43.1

Employment growth index

Rank #216 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

70.0

YoY wage change index

1,198 Retail Trade Firms in Fort Collins-Loveland

1,198

Establishments

-1.1% YoY

19,158

Total Employment

-0.6% YoY

$39,989

Average Annual Wage

+1.6% YoY

1.09

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Colorado

#3 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Colorado state rank

#23 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-0.5

better than median (58.3)

Fort Collins-Loveland vs Colorado Statewide

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

Measure	Fort Collins-Loveland	CO Statewide
Overall Score	57.8 Challenging	42.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#229 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 Fort Collins-Loveland

Healthcare and Social Assistance 38.3 Information 53.8 Finance and Insurance 53.9 Administrative and Support Services 60.4 Other Services 61.7 Accommodation and Food Services 62.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 63.4 Construction 65.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 73.6

Retail Trade in Other Colorado Metros

Greeley 48.0 #109/378 Colorado Springs 54.1 #190/378 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 Fort Collins-Loveland's 57.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL 57.7 #228/378 Syracuse, NY 57.9 #230/378 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 57.6 #227/378 Lynchburg, VA 57.5 #226/378 Terre Haute, IN 57.5 #225/378 Mankato, MN 57.4 #224/378 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA 58.2 #231/378 Fort Wayne, IN 58.3 #232/378 Savannah, GA 58.3 #233/378 Boulder, CO 58.3 #234/378

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 Fort Collins-Loveland's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (69.6) 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 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment