NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Baton Rouge, LA

Metro Market Score 44.2 (Moderate), ranked #77 of 378 metros. 3,393 establishments, 40,122 jobs.

Metro Market Score 44.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

At #77 of 378 metros, Baton Rouge's retail trade sector scores 44.2 on the market index. Concentration (19.8), wage levels (36.2), and growth (43.9) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

19.8

LQ: 1.00

Rank #75 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

36.2

$36,316 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 43.9

Employment growth index

Rank #213 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

66.8

YoY wage change index

3,393 Retail Trade Firms in Baton Rouge

3,393

Establishments

+1.5% YoY

40,122

Total Employment

-0.5% YoY

$36,316

Average Annual Wage

+1.0% YoY

1.00

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Louisiana

#3 of 10

retail trade metros in state

Louisiana state rank

#46 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-12.5

better than median (56.7)

Baton Rouge vs Louisiana Statewide

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

Measure	Baton Rouge	LA Statewide
Overall Score	44.2 Moderate	52.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#77 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 Baton Rouge

Industry data for other sectors in this metro is not available in the current BLS release. This can happen when metro area boundaries are redesignated.

Retail Trade in Other Louisiana Metros

Monroe 34.0 #16/378 Lake Charles 39.0 #44/378 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington 53.3 #178/378 Alexandria 56.6 #216/378 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 Baton Rouge's 44.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Raleigh-Cary, NC 44.4 #78/378 Dalton, GA 44.4 #79/378 Gettysburg, PA 44.5 #80/378 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT 43.7 #76/378 Huntsville, AL 44.8 #81/378 Roanoke, VA 44.9 #82/378 Waco, TX 43.5 #75/378 Goldsboro, NC 45.0 #83/378 Kingsport-Bristol, TN 43.3 #74/378 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 45.2 #84/378

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 Baton Rouge's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (56.1) 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 Baton Rouge, LA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment