NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA

Metro Market Score 56.7 (Challenging), ranked #218 of 378 metros. 784 establishments, 9,604 jobs.

Metro Market Score 56.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux's retail trade sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 13.5). That contraction, combined with a 56.7 market score, puts this metro in the lower half for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

54.2

LQ: 1.16

Rank #205 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

13.8

$34,032 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 13.5

Employment growth index

Rank #328 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

68.9

YoY wage change index

784 Retail Trade Firms in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux

784

Establishments

+0.1% YoY

9,604

Total Employment

-2.6% YoY

$34,032

Average Annual Wage

+1.4% YoY

1.16

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Louisiana

#6 of 10

retail trade metros in state

Louisiana state rank

#46 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (56.7)

Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux vs Louisiana Statewide

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

Measure	Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux	LA Statewide
Overall Score	56.7 Challenging	52.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#218 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 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux

Information 28.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 35.7 Other Services 37.2 Accommodation and Food Services 37.4 Finance and Insurance 37.5 Administrative and Support Services 41.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 41.8 Construction 58.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 73.0

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 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 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux's 56.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Akron, OH 56.7 #217/378 Owensboro, KY 56.8 #219/378 Salem, OR 56.8 #220/378 Muncie, IN 56.8 #221/378 Alexandria, LA 56.6 #216/378 Yuba City, CA 56.6 #215/378 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 56.4 #214/378 Bakersfield-Delano, CA 56.4 #213/378 Cheyenne, WY 57.1 #222/378 Greensboro-High Point, NC 56.3 #212/378

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 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (86.5) 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 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment