NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Topeka, KS

Metro Market Score 35.1 (Moderate), ranked #26 of 378 metros. 648 establishments, 9,769 jobs.

Metro Market Score 35.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

⚡Rising Wages

Topeka has a relatively low concentration of retail trade firms (index: 5.6) paired with positive employment growth. This suggests an underpenetrated market where demand may outpace current supply.

Industry Concentration

5.6

LQ: 0.87

Rank #21 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

8.2

$33,316 avg wage

Growth Trend

54.2

Employment growth index

Rank #174 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

89.6

YoY wage change index

648 Retail Trade Firms in Topeka

648

Establishments

+0.3% YoY

9,769

Total Employment

-0.1% YoY

$33,316

Average Annual Wage

+5.4% YoY

0.87

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Kansas

#2 of 4

retail trade metros in state

Kansas state rank

#14 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-7.1

better than median (42.2)

Topeka vs Kansas Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Kansas overall. The state ranks #14/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Topeka	KS Statewide
Overall Score	35.1 Moderate	40.4 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#26 of 378 metros	#14 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 Topeka

Information 36.2 Construction 52.6 Other Services 66.1

Retail Trade in Other Kansas Metros

Manhattan 26.3 #6/378 Lawrence 42.2 #59/378 Wichita 48.5 #115/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Topeka's 35.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Jackson, MS 34.9 #25/378 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI 34.8 #24/378 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 34.7 #23/378 Laredo, TX 34.6 #22/378 Wausau, WI 34.6 #21/378 Auburn-Opelika, AL 35.6 #27/378 Dubuque, IA 34.4 #20/378 Fresno, CA 35.8 #28/378 Ithaca, NY 34.3 #19/378 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 34.2 #18/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Kansas

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

Nebraska 35.9 #2/51 Colorado 42.9 #23/51 Oklahoma 46.3 #35/51 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 Topeka's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (89.6) 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 Topeka, KS MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment