NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Athens-Clarke County, GA

Metro Market Score 54.2 (Challenging), ranked #193 of 378 metros. 738 establishments, 11,150 jobs.

Metro Market Score 54.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Athens-Clarke County pairs above-average retail trade concentration (55.8) with positive employment growth (trend: 52.6). The market is competitive but still expanding, leaving room for well-positioned new entrants.

Industry Concentration

55.8

LQ: 1.17

Rank #211 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

46.3

$37,276 avg wage

Growth Trend

52.6

Employment growth index

Rank #180 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.5

YoY wage change index

738 Retail Trade Firms in Athens-Clarke County

738

Establishments

+3.7% YoY

11,150

Total Employment

-0.1% YoY

$37,276

Average Annual Wage

+2.1% YoY

1.17

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Georgia

#8 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Georgia state rank

#38 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+0.6

worse than median (53.6)

Athens-Clarke County vs Georgia Statewide

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

Measure	Athens-Clarke County	GA Statewide
Overall Score	54.2 Challenging	47.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#193 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 Athens-Clarke County

Construction 40.0 Other Services 61.6

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 Albany 53.6 #182/378 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 Athens-Clarke County's 54.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Helena, MT 54.2 #192/378 Beckley, WV 54.2 #191/378 Colorado Springs, CO 54.1 #190/378 St. Cloud, MN 54.1 #189/378 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 54.0 #188/378 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 54.0 #187/378 Harrisonburg, VA 53.9 #186/378 Hinesville, GA 54.6 #194/378 El Paso, TX 53.7 #185/378 Salinas, CA 53.7 #184/378

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 Athens-Clarke County's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (72.5) 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

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Athens-Clarke County, GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment