NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Gainesville, GA

Metro Market Score 39.0 (Moderate), ranked #45 of 378 metros. 682 establishments, 9,589 jobs.

Metro Market Score 39.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth🌱Emerging Market

Employment in Gainesville's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 81.5. Combined with a 39.0 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

12.7

LQ: 0.94

Rank #48 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

68.5

$39,762 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 81.5

Employment growth index

Rank #71 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

65.8

YoY wage change index

682 Retail Trade Firms in Gainesville

682

Establishments

+3.0% YoY

9,589

Total Employment

+1.3% YoY

$39,762

Average Annual Wage

+0.8% YoY

0.94

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Georgia

#3 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Georgia state rank

#38 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-14.6

better than median (53.6)

Gainesville vs Georgia Statewide

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

Measure	Gainesville	GA Statewide
Overall Score	39.0 Moderate	47.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#45 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 Gainesville

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 26.2 Other Services 29.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 31.0 Information 31.6 Construction 38.5 Accommodation and Food Services 46.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 55.8 Finance and Insurance 56.9 Administrative and Support Services 69.3

Retail Trade in Other Georgia Metros

Columbus 30.9 #8/378 Brunswick-St. Simons 36.0 #29/378 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 Gainesville's 39.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Appleton, WI 39.0 #46/378 Lake Charles, LA 39.0 #44/378 Napa, CA 38.8 #43/378 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 39.2 #47/378 Reading, PA 38.7 #42/378 Cleveland, OH 38.7 #41/378 Canton-Massillon, OH 39.6 #48/378 Bloomington, IN 39.6 #49/378 Chambersburg, PA 38.4 #40/378 Visalia, CA 38.4 #39/378

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 Gainesville's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (68.5) 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 Gainesville, GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment