NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Brunswick-St. Simons, GA

Metro Market Score 36.0 (Moderate), ranked #29 of 378 metros. 541 establishments, 5,660 jobs.

Metro Market Score 36.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Brunswick-St. Simons's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 87.3. Combined with a 36.0 market score, this metro sits in the top 10% for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

64.8

LQ: 1.21

Rank #245 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

13.5

$33,924 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 87.3

Employment growth index

Rank #49 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

63.2

YoY wage change index

541 Retail Trade Firms in Brunswick-St. Simons

541

Establishments

+2.7% YoY

5,660

Total Employment

+2.0% YoY

$33,924

Average Annual Wage

+0.3% YoY

1.21

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Georgia

#2 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Georgia state rank

#38 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-17.6

better than median (53.6)

Brunswick-St. Simons vs Georgia Statewide

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

Measure	Brunswick-St. Simons	GA Statewide
Overall Score	36.0 Moderate	47.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#29 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 Brunswick-St. Simons

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 22.7 Finance and Insurance 27.3 Construction 28.1 Other Services 38.4 Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.7

Retail Trade in Other Georgia Metros

Columbus 30.9 #8/378 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 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 Brunswick-St. Simons's 36.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Fresno, CA 35.8 #28/378 Auburn-Opelika, AL 35.6 #27/378 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA 36.9 #30/378 Topeka, KS 35.1 #26/378 Decatur, AL 37.0 #31/378 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI 37.1 #32/378 Jackson, MS 34.9 #25/378 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 37.2 #33/378 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI 34.8 #24/378 Joplin, MO 37.4 #34/378

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 Brunswick-St. Simons's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (64.8) 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 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment