NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Pueblo, CO

Metro Market Score 74.5 (Difficult), ranked #365 of 378 metros. 478 establishments, 7,956 jobs.

Metro Market Score 74.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

⚡Rising Wages

Pueblo's retail trade sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 11.6). That contraction, combined with a 74.5 market score, puts this metro in the bottom 10% for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

79.9

LQ: 1.28

Rank #302 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

55.0

$38,181 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 11.6

Employment growth index

Rank #335 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

71.5

YoY wage change index

478 Retail Trade Firms in Pueblo

478

Establishments

-2.8% YoY

7,956

Total Employment

-3.0% YoY

$38,181

Average Annual Wage

+1.9% YoY

1.28

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Colorado

#6 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Colorado state rank

#23 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+16.2

worse than median (58.3)

Pueblo vs Colorado Statewide

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

Measure	Pueblo	CO Statewide
Overall Score	74.5 Difficult	42.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#365 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 Pueblo

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 24.2 Other Services 30.1 Information 36.9 Finance and Insurance 42.9 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.0 Accommodation and Food Services 55.0 Administrative and Support Services 56.4 Construction 64.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 71.1

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 Grand Junction 67.2 #322/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Pueblo's 74.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Chico, CA 74.5 #364/378 Ogden, UT 74.6 #366/378 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 74.3 #363/378 Fairbanks-College, AK 74.3 #362/378 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 74.0 #361/378 Worcester, MA 74.0 #360/378 Eugene-Springfield, OR 75.4 #367/378 Ocala, FL 73.6 #359/378 Hattiesburg, MS 73.6 #358/378 Tyler, TX 73.4 #357/378

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 Pueblo's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (88.4) 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 Pueblo, CO MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment