NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Macon-Bibb County, GA

Metro Market Score 63.9 (Difficult), ranked #298 of 378 metros. 925 establishments, 11,902 jobs.

Metro Market Score 63.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

⚡Rising Wages

Macon-Bibb County scores 63.9 on the Metro Market Score for retail trade, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

78.0

LQ: 1.27

Rank #295 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

40.2

$36,618 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 35.7

Employment growth index

Rank #244 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

75.1

YoY wage change index

925 Retail Trade Firms in Macon-Bibb County

925

Establishments

+1.9% YoY

11,902

Total Employment

-1.0% YoY

$36,618

Average Annual Wage

+2.6% YoY

1.27

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Georgia

#12 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Georgia state rank

#38 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+10.3

worse than median (53.6)

Macon-Bibb County vs Georgia Statewide

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

Measure	Macon-Bibb County	GA Statewide
Overall Score	63.9 Difficult	47.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#298 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 Macon-Bibb County

Other Services 48.4

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 Athens-Clarke County 54.2 #193/378 Hinesville 54.6 #194/378 Savannah 58.3 #233/378

+ 2 more metros. View all in Georgia →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Macon-Bibb County's 63.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Elmira, NY 63.9 #299/378 Elizabethtown, KY 64.0 #300/378 Modesto, CA 64.0 #301/378 Knoxville, TN 63.7 #297/378 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 64.1 #302/378 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 63.6 #295/378 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR 63.6 #296/378 Billings, MT 64.3 #303/378 Fayetteville, NC 63.5 #292/378 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 63.5 #293/378

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 Macon-Bibb County's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (78.0) 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 Macon-Bibb County, GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment