NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Muncie, IN

Metro Market Score 56.8 (Challenging), ranked #221 of 378 metros. 388 establishments, 5,908 jobs.

Metro Market Score 56.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Market conditions for retail trade in Muncie are tougher than average. The 56.8 market score reflects a combination of moderate wages, mixed growth signals, and an already crowded field. Rank: #221 of 378 metros.

Industry Concentration

84.9

LQ: 1.32

Rank #321 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

21.7

$34,917 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 43.6

Employment growth index

Rank #214 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

66.3

YoY wage change index

388 Retail Trade Firms in Muncie

388

Establishments

+1.3% YoY

5,908

Total Employment

-0.6% YoY

$34,917

Average Annual Wage

+0.9% YoY

1.32

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Indiana

#7 of 11

retail trade metros in state

Indiana state rank

#10 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+1.2

worse than median (55.6)

Muncie vs Indiana Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Indiana overall. The state ranks #10/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Muncie	IN Statewide
Overall Score	56.8 Challenging	39.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#221 of 378 metros	#10 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 Muncie

Information 20.7 Finance and Insurance 25.1 Construction 29.5 Accommodation and Food Services 37.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 47.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 48.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 53.8 Other Services 56.2 Administrative and Support Services 58.4

Retail Trade in Other Indiana Metros

Columbus 24.9 #4/378 Bloomington 39.6 #49/378 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood 45.2 #84/378 Elkhart-Goshen 48.1 #111/378 Kokomo 48.8 #118/378 Michigan City-La Porte 55.6 #203/378 Terre Haute 57.5 #225/378 Fort Wayne 58.3 #232/378 Evansville 59.8 #249/378 South Bend-Mishawaka 60.4 #258/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Muncie's 56.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Owensboro, KY 56.8 #219/378 Salem, OR 56.8 #220/378 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 56.7 #218/378 Akron, OH 56.7 #217/378 Alexandria, LA 56.6 #216/378 Cheyenne, WY 57.1 #222/378 Yuba City, CA 56.6 #215/378 Johnstown, PA 57.2 #223/378 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 56.4 #214/378 Bakersfield-Delano, CA 56.4 #213/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Indiana

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

Ohio 39.2 #8/51 Michigan 40.5 #15/51 Kentucky 46.4 #36/51 Illinois 48.1 #39/51

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 Muncie's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (84.9) 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 Muncie, IN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment