NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Hammond, LA

Metro Market Score 69.7 (Difficult), ranked #333 of 378 metros. 550 establishments, 6,670 jobs.

Metro Market Score 69.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Hammond is a specialized hub for retail trade, with a location quotient of 1.41 and industry concentration in the bottom quartile. Higher-than-average firm density means more competition for talent and customers, but also a deeper local supply chain and client pool.

Industry Concentration

92.1

LQ: 1.41

Rank #348 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

25.9

$35,330 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 12.7

Employment growth index

Rank #331 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

70.0

YoY wage change index

550 Retail Trade Firms in Hammond

550

Establishments

+0.2% YoY

6,670

Total Employment

-2.8% YoY

$35,330

Average Annual Wage

+1.6% YoY

1.41

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Louisiana

#9 of 10

retail trade metros in state

Louisiana state rank

#46 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+13.0

worse than median (56.7)

Hammond vs Louisiana Statewide

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

Measure	Hammond	LA Statewide
Overall Score	69.7 Difficult	52.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#333 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 Hammond

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 19.4 Information 22.8 Construction 29.7 Finance and Insurance 32.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 32.6 Accommodation and Food Services 40.5 Administrative and Support Services 41.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 41.8 Other Services 42.7

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 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 Lafayette 71.2 #344/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Hammond's 69.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 69.7 #334/378 Jacksonville, NC 69.7 #335/378 Dover, DE 69.8 #336/378 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA 69.9 #337/378 Bozeman, MT 70.0 #338/378 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY 70.0 #339/378 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT 69.3 #331/378 Longview-Kelso, WA 69.3 #332/378 Logan, UT 70.1 #340/378 Bay City, MI 69.3 #330/378

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 Hammond's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (87.3) 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 Hammond, LA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment