NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL

Metro Market Score 59.5 (Challenging), ranked #246 of 378 metros. 1,380 establishments, 17,758 jobs.

Metro Market Score 59.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin is a specialized hub for retail trade, with a location quotient of 1.43 and industry concentration in the lower half. Higher-than-average firm density means more competition for talent and customers, but also a deeper local supply chain and client pool.

Industry Concentration

92.9

LQ: 1.43

Rank #351 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

55.8

$38,437 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 62.4

Employment growth index

Rank #143 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

55.4

YoY wage change index

1,380 Retail Trade Firms in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin

1,380

Establishments

+1.0% YoY

17,758

Total Employment

+0.1% YoY

$38,437

Average Annual Wage

-1.2% YoY

1.43

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Florida

#15 of 22

retail trade metros in state

Florida state rank

#43 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+3.1

worse than median (56.4)

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin vs Florida Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Florida overall. The state ranks #43/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin	FL Statewide
Overall Score	59.5 Challenging	51.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#246 of 378 metros	#43 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 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin

Healthcare and Social Assistance 30.9 Construction 44.9 Other Services 45.9 Finance and Insurance 60.9 Information 62.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 65.1 Administrative and Support Services 68.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 68.7 Accommodation and Food Services 71.9

Retail Trade in Other Florida Metros

Gainesville 24.8 #2/378 Tallahassee 38.1 #37/378 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville 47.7 #106/378 Jacksonville 48.1 #110/378 Homosassa Springs 49.6 #131/378 Panama City-Panama City Beach 50.1 #142/378 Sebring 50.6 #149/378 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford 52.0 #163/378 Wildwood-The Villages 52.1 #164/378 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent 54.0 #188/378

+ 11 more metros. View all in Florida →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin's 59.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Amarillo, TX 59.6 #247/378 Lancaster, PA 59.6 #248/378 Evansville, IN 59.8 #249/378 Charlottesville, VA 59.8 #250/378 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 59.2 #245/378 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 60.0 #251/378 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA 60.0 #252/378 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 59.0 #244/378 Urban Honolulu, HI 60.1 #253/378 Missoula, MT 58.9 #243/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Florida

State-level entry risk for retail trade in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Alabama 46.4 #36/51 Georgia 47.5 #38/51

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 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (92.9) 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 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment