NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Alexandria, LA

Metro Market Score 56.6 (Challenging), ranked #216 of 378 metros. 642 establishments, 7,310 jobs.

Metro Market Score 56.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Market conditions for retail trade in Alexandria are tougher than average. The 56.6 market score reflects a combination of moderate wages, slowing employment, and an already crowded field. Rank: #216 of 378 metros.

Industry Concentration

68.5

LQ: 1.22

Rank #259 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

15.6

$34,287 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 29.4

Employment growth index

Rank #268 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.0

YoY wage change index

642 Retail Trade Firms in Alexandria

642

Establishments

+0.6% YoY

7,310

Total Employment

-1.4% YoY

$34,287

Average Annual Wage

+2.0% YoY

1.22

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Louisiana

#5 of 10

retail trade metros in state

Louisiana state rank

#46 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-0.1

better than median (56.7)

Alexandria vs Louisiana Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Louisiana overall. The state ranks #46/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Alexandria	LA Statewide
Overall Score	56.6 Challenging	52.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#216 of 378 metros	#46 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 Alexandria

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 22.1 Administrative and Support Services 44.1 Construction 54.4

Retail Trade in Other Louisiana Metros

Monroe 34.0 #16/378 Lake Charles 39.0 #44/378 Baton Rouge 44.2 #77/378 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington 53.3 #178/378 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux 56.7 #218/378 New Orleans-Metairie 63.3 #290/378 Shreveport-Bossier City 67.0 #321/378 Hammond 69.7 #333/378 Lafayette 71.2 #344/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Alexandria's 56.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Akron, OH 56.7 #217/378 Yuba City, CA 56.6 #215/378 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 56.7 #218/378 Owensboro, KY 56.8 #219/378 Salem, OR 56.8 #220/378 Muncie, IN 56.8 #221/378 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 56.4 #214/378 Bakersfield-Delano, CA 56.4 #213/378 Greensboro-High Point, NC 56.3 #212/378 Cheyenne, WY 57.1 #222/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Louisiana

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

Texas 41.6 #17/51 Arkansas 51.8 #44/51 Mississippi 59.2 #51/51

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 Alexandria's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (70.6) 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 Alexandria, LA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment