NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Kahului-Wailuku, HI

Metro Market Score 79.9 (Difficult), ranked #376 of 378 metros. 764 establishments, 8,486 jobs.

Metro Market Score 79.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Wage costs in Kahului-Wailuku's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 93.1 and rising pressure at 77.7. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

52.6

LQ: 1.15

Rank #199 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

93.1

$44,295 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 6.9

Employment growth index

Rank #353 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

77.7

YoY wage change index

764 Retail Trade Firms in Kahului-Wailuku

764

Establishments

-3.7% YoY

8,486

Total Employment

-4.4% YoY

$44,295

Average Annual Wage

+3.1% YoY

1.15

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Hawaii

#2 of 2

retail trade metros in state

Hawaii state rank

#48 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (79.9)

Kahului-Wailuku vs Hawaii Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Hawaii overall. The state ranks #48/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Kahului-Wailuku	HI Statewide
Overall Score	79.9 Difficult	56.1 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#376 of 378 metros	#48 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 Kahului-Wailuku

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 33.8 Finance and Insurance 37.8 Administrative and Support Services 53.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.3 Information 67.4 Construction 68.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 69.7 Other Services 80.2 Accommodation and Food Services 90.7

Retail Trade in Other Hawaii Metros

Urban Honolulu 60.1 #253/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Kahului-Wailuku's 79.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Great Falls, MT 78.9 #375/378 Medford, OR 78.9 #374/378 Redding, CA 81.1 #377/378 Coeur d'Alene, ID 78.6 #373/378 Salisbury, MD 78.6 #372/378 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC 77.7 #371/378 Pittsfield, MA 77.0 #370/378 Barnstable Town, MA 83.1 #378/378 Youngstown-Warren, OH 75.8 #369/378 Glens Falls, NY 75.8 #368/378

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 Kahului-Wailuku's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (93.1) 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 Kahului-Wailuku, HI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment