NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Urban Honolulu, HI

Metro Market Score 60.1 (Difficult), ranked #253 of 378 metros. 2,875 establishments, 41,501 jobs.

Metro Market Score 60.1

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 Urban Honolulu's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 93.7 and rising pressure at 82.9. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

10.3

LQ: 0.92

Rank #39 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

93.7

$44,589 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 41.5

Employment growth index

Rank #222 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

82.9

YoY wage change index

2,875 Retail Trade Firms in Urban Honolulu

2,875

Establishments

+0.8% YoY

41,501

Total Employment

-0.7% YoY

$44,589

Average Annual Wage

+4.1% YoY

0.92

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Hawaii

#1 of 2

retail trade metros in state

Hawaii state rank

#48 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-19.8

better than median (79.9)

Urban Honolulu vs Hawaii Statewide

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

Measure	Urban Honolulu	HI Statewide
Overall Score	60.1 Difficult	56.1 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#253 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 Urban Honolulu

Administrative and Support Services 54.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 56.7 Finance and Insurance 59.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 61.2 Construction 61.6 Information 62.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 69.1 Accommodation and Food Services 70.3 Other Services 71.7

Retail Trade in Other Hawaii Metros

Kahului-Wailuku 79.9 #376/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Urban Honolulu's 60.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Binghamton, NY 60.2 #254/378 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA 60.0 #252/378 Fort Smith, AR 60.2 #255/378 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 60.0 #251/378 Winston-Salem, NC 60.3 #256/378 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 60.4 #257/378 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN 60.4 #258/378 Charlottesville, VA 59.8 #250/378 Evansville, IN 59.8 #249/378 Rockford, IL 60.5 #259/378

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 Urban Honolulu's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (93.7) 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 Urban Honolulu, HI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment