NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in New Haven, CT

Metro Market Score 71.5 (Difficult), ranked #346 of 378 metros. 1,925 establishments, 26,237 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 71.5
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 New Haven's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 90.2 and rising pressure at 80.8. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration
11.9
LQ: 0.93
Rank #45 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
90.2
$43,518 avg wage
Growth Trend
↓ 0.5
Employment growth index
Rank #377 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
80.8
YoY wage change index

1,925 Retail Trade Firms in New Haven

1,925
Establishments
-32.3% YoY
26,237
Total Employment
-33.1% YoY
$43,518
Average Annual Wage
+3.7% YoY
0.93
Location Quotient
Below national avg

New Haven vs Connecticut Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Connecticut overall. The state ranks #31/51 for entry risk.

Measure New Haven CT Statewide
Overall Score 71.5 Difficult 44.7 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #346 of 378 metros #31 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 New Haven

Construction 59.5 Accommodation and Food Services 67.6 Finance and Insurance 74.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 75.1 Information 75.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 78.5 Other Services 80.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 80.3 Administrative and Support Services 86.9

Retail Trade in Other Connecticut Metros

Norwich-New London-Willimantic 43.7 #76/378 Waterbury-Shelton 58.4 #235/378 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury 65.3 #310/378 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford 66.1 #314/378

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 New Haven's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (99.5) 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.