NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Savannah, GA

Metro Market Score 58.3 (Challenging), ranked #233 of 378 metros. 1,679 establishments, 23,028 jobs.

Metro Market Score 58.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Wage costs in Savannah's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 72.5 and rising pressure at 80.8. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

59.5

LQ: 1.18

Rank #225 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

72.5

$40,449 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 69.6

Employment growth index

Rank #116 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

80.8

YoY wage change index

1,679 Retail Trade Firms in Savannah

1,679

Establishments

+3.0% YoY

23,028

Total Employment

+0.4% YoY

$40,449

Average Annual Wage

+3.7% YoY

1.18

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Georgia

#10 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Georgia state rank

#38 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+4.7

worse than median (53.6)

Savannah vs Georgia Statewide

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

Measure	Savannah	GA Statewide
Overall Score	58.3 Challenging	47.5 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#233 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 Savannah

Information 36.8 Finance and Insurance 41.8 Construction 43.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 44.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 46.2 Other Services 60.9 Accommodation and Food Services 76.1

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 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 Savannah's 58.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Boulder, CO 58.3 #234/378 Fort Wayne, IN 58.3 #232/378 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA 58.2 #231/378 Waterbury-Shelton, CT 58.4 #235/378 Morristown, TN 58.4 #236/378 Bellingham, WA 58.5 #237/378 Battle Creek, MI 58.5 #238/378 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 58.5 #239/378 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 58.6 #240/378 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 58.7 #241/378

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 Savannah's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (72.5) 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 Savannah, GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment