NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Illinois: 2026 Market Risk Report

Entry risk 48.1 (Elevated), ranked #39 of 51 states. 35,202 establishments, 571,407 jobs.

Best retail trade metro in Illinois
Champaign-Urbana 24.9 #3/378 nationwide · 598 firms

Entry Risk Assessment

Entry Risk Score 48.1
Low 0-30
Moderate 30-42
Elevated 42-55
High 55+
Elevated

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

Illinois's retail trade sector shows high establishment density (top 5 nationally) paired with firm retention in the bottom 15. This combination indicates elevated competitive pressure on new market entrants.

5-Year Firm Retention
25.5%
Percentile within industry
Rank #39 of 51 states
Growth Momentum
19.5
Scale of 0-100
Rank #47 of 51 states
Establishment Density
15.6
vs. national average
Rank #5 of 51 states
Market Volatility
41.4
Lower is more stable
Wage Pressure Index
0.0
Labor cost pressure

35,202 Establishments in Illinois

35,202
Establishments
+0.8% YoY
571,407
Total Employment
-0.6% YoY
$41,802
Average Annual Wage
+0.2% YoY

Retail Trade in Illinois Metro Areas

8 metro areas with retail trade data in Illinois. Lower Metro Market Score = more favorable conditions.

Champaign-Urbana 24.9 #3/378 · 598 firms Springfield 40.0 #50/378 · 649 firms Peoria 42.4 #60/378 · 1,043 firms Decatur 43.1 #71/378 · 309 firms Kankakee 49.5 #129/378 · 314 firms Bloomington 53.4 #179/378 · 414 firms Rockford 60.5 #259/378 · 890 firms Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 63.1 #287/378 · 23,484 firms

Illinois vs National Retail Trade Average

How Illinois's retail trade market compares to the national average across all 51 states.

Metric IL National Difference
Entry Risk Score 48.1 44.6 +3.5
5-Year Retention 25.5% 51.0% -25.5
Growth Momentum 19.5 42.9 -23.4
Market Volatility 41.4 24.4 +17.0
Establishment Density 15.6 49.0 -33.4
Wage Pressure 0.0 30.5 -30.5

Green = favorable vs national average. Red = less favorable. Metrics are relative within retail trade only.

Illinois Ranks #39 of 51 for Retail Trade

Illinois ranks #39 out of 51 states for retail trade market entry conditions.

Retail Trade Entry Risk by State

Rank State Risk Score Classification
#1 Wisconsin 33.3 moderate
#2 Nebraska 35.9 moderate
#3 Nevada 37.0 moderate
#4 Massachusetts 37.1 moderate
#5 Alaska 37.2 moderate
#39 Illinois You 48.1 elevated
Entry Risk by State Alaska — 37.2 · #5 Alabama — 46.4 · #36 Arkansas — 51.8 · #44 Arizona — 44.9 · #32 California — 44.0 · #28 Colorado — 42.9 · #23 Connecticut — 44.7 · #31 District of Columbia — 58.0 · #50 Delaware — 41.8 · #19 Florida — 51.0 · #43 Georgia — 47.5 · #38 Hawaii — 56.1 · #48 Iowa — 40.8 · #16 Idaho — 40.1 · #12 Illinois — 48.1 · #39 Indiana — 39.8 · #10 Kansas — 40.4 · #14 Kentucky — 46.4 · #36 Louisiana — 52.3 · #46 Massachusetts — 37.1 · #4 Maryland — 43.6 · #26 Maine — 44.1 · #29 Michigan — 40.5 · #15 Minnesota — 39.6 · #9 Missouri — 50.6 · #42 Mississippi — 59.2 · #51 Montana — 45.8 · #34 North Carolina — 43.4 · #25 North Dakota — 49.9 · #41 Nebraska — 35.9 · #2 New Hampshire — 48.7 · #40 New Jersey — 43.7 · #27 New Mexico — 39.9 · #11 Nevada — 37.0 · #3 New York — 57.2 · #49 Ohio — 39.2 · #8 Oklahoma — 46.3 · #35 Oregon — 42.9 · #24 Pennsylvania — 38.1 · #6 Rhode Island — 42.3 · #21 South Carolina — 44.3 · #30 South Dakota — 38.9 · #7 Tennessee — 42.8 · #22 Texas — 41.6 · #17 Utah — 40.3 · #13 Virginia — 41.6 · #17 Vermont — 52.1 · #45 Washington — 42.0 · #20 Wisconsin — 33.3 · #1 West Virginia — 52.8 · #47 Wyoming — 44.9 · #33
Low Moderate Elevated High

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About Entry Risk Score: A weighted composite of firm retention, growth momentum, market volatility, establishment density, and wage pressure. Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Data period: 2024. Last updated: February 2026. Next refresh expected: Q2 2026 (BLS QCEW update).

Compare to Another State

How does Illinois stack up against other states for retail trade?

Select a state above to see the comparison

Retail Trade in Neighboring States

How Illinois's retail trade market compares to bordering states.

Wisconsin 33.3 #1/51 Indiana 39.8 #10/51 Iowa 40.8 #16/51 Kentucky 46.4 #36/51 Missouri 50.6 #42/51

Other Industries in Illinois

Construction → Healthcare and Social Assistance → Accommodation and Food Services → Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services → Finance and Insurance → Real Estate and Rental and Leasing → Administrative and Support Services → Information → Other Services →