NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Waterbury-Shelton, CT

Metro Market Score 58.4 (Challenging), ranked #235 of 378 metros. 1,320 establishments, 18,298 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 58.4
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market

Waterbury-Shelton stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 86.0 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 61.7 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
51.9
LQ: 1.14
Rank #196 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
86.0
$42,497 avg wage
Growth Trend
↑ 61.4
Employment growth index
Rank #147 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
61.7
YoY wage change index

1,320 Retail Trade Firms in Waterbury-Shelton

1,320
Establishments
+100.0% YoY
18,298
Total Employment
+0.0% YoY
$42,497
Average Annual Wage
+0.0% YoY
1.14
Location Quotient
Above national avg

Waterbury-Shelton vs Connecticut Statewide

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

Measure Waterbury-Shelton CT Statewide
Overall Score 58.4 Challenging 44.7 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #235 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 Waterbury-Shelton

Accommodation and Food Services 45.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 46.1 Other Services 51.2 Finance and Insurance 54.0 Administrative and Support Services 55.7 Construction 56.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 58.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 59.5 Information 59.9

Retail Trade in Other Connecticut Metros

Norwich-New London-Willimantic 43.7 #76/378 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury 65.3 #310/378 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford 66.1 #314/378 New Haven 71.5 #346/378

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 Waterbury-Shelton's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (86.0) 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.