NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Champaign-Urbana, IL

Metro Market Score 24.9 (Favorable), ranked #3 of 378 metros. 598 establishments, 9,994 jobs.

Metro Market Score 24.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages✓Favorable Market🌱Emerging Market

Champaign-Urbana ranks in the top 10% for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 24.9, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

14.8

LQ: 0.96

Rank #56 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

11.4

$33,713 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 91.3

Employment growth index

Rank #34 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

78.8

YoY wage change index

598 Retail Trade Firms in Champaign-Urbana

598

Establishments

+0.2% YoY

9,994

Total Employment

+2.9% YoY

$33,713

Average Annual Wage

+3.3% YoY

0.96

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Illinois

#1 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Illinois state rank

#39 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-24.6

better than median (49.5)

Champaign-Urbana vs Illinois Statewide

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

Measure	Champaign-Urbana	IL Statewide
Overall Score	24.9 Favorable	48.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#3 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 Champaign-Urbana

Construction 49.7 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 53.4 Other Services 54.0 Finance and Insurance 54.1 Administrative and Support Services 56.2 Information 58.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 59.2

Retail Trade in Other Illinois Metros

Springfield 40.0 #50/378 Peoria 42.4 #60/378 Decatur 43.1 #71/378 Kankakee 49.5 #129/378 Bloomington 53.4 #179/378 Rockford 60.5 #259/378 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 63.1 #287/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Champaign-Urbana's 24.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Columbus, IN 24.9 #4/378 Gainesville, FL 24.8 #2/378 Las Cruces, NM 26.0 #5/378 Manhattan, KS 26.3 #6/378 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA 21.5 #1/378 Ames, IA 28.5 #7/378

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 Champaign-Urbana's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (78.8) 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 Champaign-Urbana, IL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment