NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Columbus, GA

Metro Market Score 30.9 (Favorable), ranked #8 of 378 metros. 1,124 establishments, 13,029 jobs.

Metro Market Score 30.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

📈Rapid Growth

Columbus ranks in the top 10% for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 30.9, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

48.4

LQ: 1.13

Rank #183 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

2.9

$32,336 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 86.2

Employment growth index

Rank #53 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

70.0

YoY wage change index

1,124 Retail Trade Firms in Columbus

1,124

Establishments

+6.1% YoY

13,029

Total Employment

+1.9% YoY

$32,336

Average Annual Wage

+1.6% YoY

1.13

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Georgia

#1 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Georgia state rank

#38 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-22.7

better than median (53.6)

Columbus vs Georgia Statewide

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

Measure	Columbus	GA Statewide
Overall Score	30.9 Favorable	47.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#8 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 Columbus

Information 31.6 Other Services 39.8

Retail Trade in Other Georgia Metros

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 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 Columbus's 30.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 31.0 #9/378 Morgantown, WV 31.9 #10/378 Rochester, MN 32.2 #11/378 Huntington-Ashland, WV 32.4 #12/378 Columbia, MO 32.6 #13/378 Tuscaloosa, AL 32.9 #14/378 Ames, IA 28.5 #7/378 Niles, MI 33.4 #15/378 Monroe, LA 34.0 #16/378 Spartanburg, SC 34.1 #17/378

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 Columbus's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (70.0) 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 Columbus, GA-AL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment