NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Augusta-Richmond County, GA

Metro Market Score 43.2 (Moderate), ranked #73 of 378 metros. 1,933 establishments, 26,941 jobs.

Metro Market Score 43.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

Employment in Augusta-Richmond County's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 67.7. Combined with a 43.2 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

56.4

LQ: 1.17

Rank #213 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

24.1

$35,155 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 67.7

Employment growth index

Rank #123 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

66.8

YoY wage change index

1,933 Retail Trade Firms in Augusta-Richmond County

1,933

Establishments

+2.8% YoY

26,941

Total Employment

+0.4% YoY

$35,155

Average Annual Wage

+1.0% YoY

1.17

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Georgia

#5 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Georgia state rank

#38 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-10.5

better than median (53.6)

Augusta-Richmond County vs Georgia Statewide

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

Measure	Augusta-Richmond County	GA Statewide
Overall Score	43.2 Moderate	47.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#73 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 Augusta-Richmond County

Finance and Insurance 44.2 Other Services 45.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 49.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 57.3 Construction 59.8

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 Dalton 44.4 #79/378 Albany 53.6 #182/378 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 Augusta-Richmond County's 43.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Decatur, IL 43.1 #71/378 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC 43.1 #72/378 Midland, TX 43.1 #70/378 Kingsport-Bristol, TN 43.3 #74/378 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 42.9 #69/378 Waco, TX 43.5 #75/378 Lexington-Fayette, KY 42.8 #68/378 Rome, GA 42.8 #67/378 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 42.7 #65/378 Longview, TX 42.7 #66/378

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 Augusta-Richmond County's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (56.4) 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 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment