NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Boise City, ID

Metro Market Score 51.5 (Challenging), ranked #156 of 378 metros. 2,718 establishments, 40,086 jobs.

Metro Market Score 51.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages🌱Emerging Market

Boise City stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 90.5 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 71.5 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

26.7

LQ: 1.04

Rank #101 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

90.5

$43,692 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 73.5

Employment growth index

Rank #101 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

71.5

YoY wage change index

2,718 Retail Trade Firms in Boise City

2,718

Establishments

+4.7% YoY

40,086

Total Employment

+0.7% YoY

$43,692

Average Annual Wage

+1.9% YoY

1.04

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Idaho

#2 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Idaho state rank

#12 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-1.0

better than median (52.5)

Boise City vs Idaho Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Idaho overall. The state ranks #12/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Boise City	ID Statewide
Overall Score	51.5 Challenging	40.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#156 of 378 metros	#12 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 Boise City

Other Services 44.9 Information 47.8 Construction 50.0 Accommodation and Food Services 50.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 60.6 Finance and Insurance 65.4

Retail Trade in Other Idaho Metros

Idaho Falls 50.3 #144/378 Twin Falls 51.8 #162/378 Lewiston 52.5 #168/378 Pocatello 53.0 #176/378 Coeur d'Alene 78.6 #373/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Boise City's 51.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 51.6 #157/378 Mansfield, OH 51.6 #158/378 Jefferson City, MO 51.7 #159/378 Altoona, PA 51.7 #160/378 Birmingham, AL 51.8 #161/378 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 51.3 #155/378 Twin Falls, ID 51.8 #162/378 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 52.0 #163/378 Johnson City, TN 51.1 #154/378 Walla Walla, WA 51.0 #153/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Idaho

State-level entry risk for retail trade in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Nevada 37.0 #3/51 Utah 40.3 #13/51 Washington 42.0 #20/51 Oregon 42.9 #24/51 Wyoming 44.9 #33/51 Montana 45.8 #34/51

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 Boise City's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (90.5) 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 Boise City, ID MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment