NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Bloomington, IL

Metro Market Score 53.4 (Challenging), ranked #179 of 378 metros. 414 establishments, 8,240 jobs.

Metro Market Score 53.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Retail Trade employment in Bloomington contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the upper half at 4.8. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

10.8

LQ: 0.93

Rank #41 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

35.5

$36,272 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 4.8

Employment growth index

Rank #361 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

66.3

YoY wage change index

414 Retail Trade Firms in Bloomington

414

Establishments

-9.6% YoY

8,240

Total Employment

-6.5% YoY

$36,272

Average Annual Wage

+0.9% YoY

0.93

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Illinois

#6 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Illinois state rank

#39 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+3.9

worse than median (49.5)

Bloomington vs Illinois Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Illinois overall. The state ranks #39/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Bloomington	IL Statewide
Overall Score	53.4 Challenging	48.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#179 of 378 metros	#39 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 Bloomington

Information 18.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 43.4 Healthcare and Social Assistance 44.2 Construction 50.9 Finance and Insurance 59.3 Administrative and Support Services 62.4 Accommodation and Food Services 67.3 Other Services 77.8

Retail Trade in Other Illinois Metros

Champaign-Urbana 24.9 #3/378 Springfield 40.0 #50/378 Peoria 42.4 #60/378 Decatur 43.1 #71/378 Kankakee 49.5 #129/378 Rockford 60.5 #259/378 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 63.1 #287/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Bloomington's 53.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA 53.3 #178/378 Lewiston-Auburn, ME 53.3 #177/378 El Centro, CA 53.6 #180/378 Casper, WY 53.6 #181/378 Albany, GA 53.6 #182/378 Green Bay, WI 53.7 #183/378 Salinas, CA 53.7 #184/378 El Paso, TX 53.7 #185/378 Pocatello, ID 53.0 #176/378 Harrisonburg, VA 53.9 #186/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Illinois

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

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

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 Bloomington's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (95.2) 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 Bloomington, IL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment