NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

Metro Market Score 57.6 (Challenging), ranked #227 of 378 metros. 11,646 establishments, 161,806 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 57.6
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 81.5 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 71.0 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
48.9
LQ: 1.13
Rank #185 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
81.5
$41,755 avg wage
Growth Trend
↑ 64.0
Employment growth index
Rank #137 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
71.0
YoY wage change index

11,646 Retail Trade Firms in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater

11,646
Establishments
+0.9% YoY
161,806
Total Employment
+0.1% YoY
$41,755
Average Annual Wage
+1.8% YoY
1.13
Location Quotient
Above national avg

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater vs Florida Statewide

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

Measure Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater FL Statewide
Overall Score 57.6 Challenging 51.0 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #227 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater

Other Services 48.7 Construction 52.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 57.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 60.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 61.1 Information 61.6 Finance and Insurance 66.8 Accommodation and Food Services 70.4 Administrative and Support Services 79.2

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 →

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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (81.5) 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.