NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Lewiston, ID

Metro Market Score 52.5 (Challenging), ranked #168 of 378 metros. 234 establishments, 3,514 jobs.

Metro Market Score 52.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth

Lewiston stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 79.1 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 65.8 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

69.6

LQ: 1.22

Rank #263 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

79.1

$41,267 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 92.6

Employment growth index

Rank #29 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

65.8

YoY wage change index

234 Retail Trade Firms in Lewiston

234

Establishments

+2.6% YoY

3,514

Total Employment

+3.1% YoY

$41,267

Average Annual Wage

+0.8% YoY

1.22

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Idaho

#4 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Idaho state rank

#12 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (52.5)

Lewiston vs Idaho Statewide

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

Measure	Lewiston	ID Statewide
Overall Score	52.5 Challenging	40.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#168 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 Lewiston

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 20.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 21.1 Information 40.2 Finance and Insurance 44.5 Construction 48.3 Other Services 49.2 Accommodation and Food Services 58.7

Retail Trade in Other Idaho Metros

Idaho Falls 50.3 #144/378 Boise City 51.5 #156/378 Twin Falls 51.8 #162/378 Pocatello 53.0 #176/378 Coeur d'Alene 78.6 #373/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lewiston's 52.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Ann Arbor, MI 52.6 #169/378 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA 52.7 #170/378 Texarkana, TX 52.4 #167/378 Portland-South Portland, ME 52.7 #171/378 Winchester, VA 52.4 #166/378 Lincoln, NE 52.8 #172/378 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 52.8 #173/378 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 52.3 #165/378 Corvallis, OR 52.9 #174/378 Anniston-Oxford, AL 52.9 #175/378

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 Lewiston's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (79.1) 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 Lewiston, ID-WA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment