NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Jacksonville, FL

Metro Market Score 48.1 (Challenging), ranked #110 of 378 metros. 5,726 establishments, 84,029 jobs.

Metro Market Score 48.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Employment in Jacksonville's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 90.0. Combined with a 48.1 market score, this metro sits in the upper half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

43.6

LQ: 1.11

Rank #165 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

79.4

$41,306 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 90.0

Employment growth index

Rank #39 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

71.5

YoY wage change index

5,726 Retail Trade Firms in Jacksonville

5,726

Establishments

+1.1% YoY

84,029

Total Employment

+2.4% YoY

$41,306

Average Annual Wage

+1.9% YoY

1.11

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Florida

#4 of 22

retail trade metros in state

Florida state rank

#43 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-8.4

better than median (56.4)

Jacksonville vs Florida Statewide

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

Measure	Jacksonville	FL Statewide
Overall Score	48.1 Challenging	51.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#110 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 Jacksonville

Construction 49.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 53.6 Other Services 60.0 Accommodation and Food Services 60.2 Information 61.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 66.8 Finance and Insurance 68.6

Retail Trade in Other Florida Metros

Gainesville 24.8 #2/378 Tallahassee 38.1 #37/378 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville 47.7 #106/378 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 Port St. Lucie 55.7 #205/378

+ 11 more metros. View all in Florida →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Jacksonville's 48.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Elkhart-Goshen, IN 48.1 #111/378 Greeley, CO 48.0 #109/378 Springfield, MO 48.1 #112/378 Corpus Christi, TX 47.9 #108/378 Lima, OH 48.2 #113/378 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 47.9 #107/378 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 47.7 #106/378 Springfield, OH 48.5 #114/378 Wichita, KS 48.5 #115/378 Clarksville, TN 48.6 #116/378

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 Jacksonville's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (79.4) 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 Jacksonville, FL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment