NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Punta Gorda, FL

Metro Market Score 64.5 (Difficult), ranked #306 of 378 metros. 659 establishments, 10,063 jobs.

Metro Market Score 64.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

🏭Industry Hub

With a 1.80 location quotient, Punta Gorda has an outsized retail trade presence relative to its population. That concentration (index: 99.7) creates a mature local market where supplier networks are established but differentiation matters more.

Industry Concentration

99.7

LQ: 1.80

Rank #377 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

47.9

$37,458 avg wage

Growth Trend

46.6

Employment growth index

Rank #203 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

58.0

YoY wage change index

659 Retail Trade Firms in Punta Gorda

659

Establishments

-0.3% YoY

10,063

Total Employment

-0.4% YoY

$37,458

Average Annual Wage

-0.7% YoY

1.80

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Florida

#20 of 22

retail trade metros in state

Florida state rank

#43 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+8.1

worse than median (56.4)

Punta Gorda vs Florida Statewide

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

Measure	Punta Gorda	FL Statewide
Overall Score	64.5 Difficult	51.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#306 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 Punta Gorda

Information 22.9 Finance and Insurance 34.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 42.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 44.5 Administrative and Support Services 46.5 Construction 54.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 57.8 Accommodation and Food Services 60.6 Other Services 68.2

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 Punta Gorda's 64.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Flint, MI 64.6 #307/378 Kingston, NY 64.4 #304/378 Flagstaff, AZ 64.4 #305/378 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 64.7 #308/378 St. George, UT 64.8 #309/378 Billings, MT 64.3 #303/378 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 64.1 #302/378 Modesto, CA 64.0 #301/378 Elizabethtown, KY 64.0 #300/378 Elmira, NY 63.9 #299/378

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 Punta Gorda's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (99.7) 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 Punta Gorda, FL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment