NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Grand Junction, CO

Metro Market Score 67.2 (Difficult), ranked #322 of 378 metros. 568 establishments, 8,843 jobs.

Metro Market Score 67.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market

Grand Junction scores 67.2 on the Metro Market Score for retail trade, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

84.4

LQ: 1.32

Rank #319 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

88.6

$43,409 avg wage

Growth Trend

45.8

Employment growth index

Rank #206 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

38.3

YoY wage change index

568 Retail Trade Firms in Grand Junction

568

Establishments

-1.4% YoY

8,843

Total Employment

-0.4% YoY

$43,409

Average Annual Wage

-4.5% YoY

1.32

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Colorado

#5 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Colorado state rank

#23 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+8.9

worse than median (58.3)

Grand Junction vs Colorado Statewide

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

Measure	Grand Junction	CO Statewide
Overall Score	67.2 Difficult	42.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#322 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 Grand Junction

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 27.3 Administrative and Support Services 41.0 Information 41.9 Healthcare and Social Assistance 44.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 44.2 Other Services 52.9 Finance and Insurance 53.6 Construction 54.8 Accommodation and Food Services 64.9

Retail Trade in Other Colorado Metros

Greeley 48.0 #109/378 Colorado Springs 54.1 #190/378 Fort Collins-Loveland 57.8 #229/378 Boulder 58.3 #234/378 Pueblo 74.5 #365/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Grand Junction's 67.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Burlington-South Burlington, VT 67.3 #323/378 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 67.0 #321/378 Jackson, MI 67.4 #324/378 Cape Girardeau, MO 66.9 #320/378 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 66.7 #319/378 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 66.6 #318/378 Springfield, MA 67.8 #325/378 Yakima, WA 67.8 #326/378 Warner Robins, GA 66.4 #317/378 Utica-Rome, NY 66.3 #316/378

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 Grand Junction's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (88.6) 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 Grand Junction, CO MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment