NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Albany, GA

Metro Market Score 53.6 (Challenging), ranked #182 of 378 metros. 598 establishments, 7,366 jobs.

Metro Market Score 53.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Retail Trade conditions in Albany are mixed. The 53.6 market score puts it at #182 of 378, with no metric pulling sharply in either direction. Wages, growth, and competition are all within a normal range for this industry.

Industry Concentration

74.9

LQ: 1.26

Rank #283 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

10.6

$33,675 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 40.5

Employment growth index

Rank #226 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.0

YoY wage change index

598 Retail Trade Firms in Albany

598

Establishments

+2.0% YoY

7,366

Total Employment

-0.7% YoY

$33,675

Average Annual Wage

+2.0% YoY

1.26

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Georgia

#7 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Georgia state rank

#38 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (53.6)

Albany vs Georgia Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Georgia overall. The state ranks #38/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Albany	GA Statewide
Overall Score	53.6 Challenging	47.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#182 of 378 metros	#38 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 Albany

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 30.4 Finance and Insurance 31.0 Accommodation and Food Services 45.2 Other Services 47.4 Administrative and Support Services 60.9

Retail Trade in Other Georgia Metros

Columbus 30.9 #8/378 Brunswick-St. Simons 36.0 #29/378 Gainesville 39.0 #45/378 Rome 42.8 #67/378 Augusta-Richmond County 43.2 #73/378 Dalton 44.4 #79/378 Athens-Clarke County 54.2 #193/378 Hinesville 54.6 #194/378 Savannah 58.3 #233/378 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell 58.6 #240/378

+ 2 more metros. View all in Georgia →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Albany's 53.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Casper, WY 53.6 #181/378 El Centro, CA 53.6 #180/378 Green Bay, WI 53.7 #183/378 Salinas, CA 53.7 #184/378 El Paso, TX 53.7 #185/378 Bloomington, IL 53.4 #179/378 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA 53.3 #178/378 Lewiston-Auburn, ME 53.3 #177/378 Harrisonburg, VA 53.9 #186/378 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 54.0 #187/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Georgia

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

Tennessee 42.8 #22/51 North Carolina 43.4 #25/51 South Carolina 44.3 #30/51 Alabama 46.4 #36/51 Florida 51.0 #43/51

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 Albany's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (74.9) 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 Albany, GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment