NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Monroe, LA

Metro Market Score 34.0 (Favorable), ranked #16 of 378 metros. 973 establishments, 10,571 jobs.

Metro Market Score 34.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Monroe ranks in the top 10% for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 34.0, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

66.9

LQ: 1.21

Rank #253 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

5.8

$32,888 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 98.4

Employment growth index

Rank #7 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

76.7

YoY wage change index

973 Retail Trade Firms in Monroe

973

Establishments

+20.9% YoY

10,571

Total Employment

+15.6% YoY

$32,888

Average Annual Wage

+2.9% YoY

1.21

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Louisiana

#1 of 10

retail trade metros in state

Louisiana state rank

#46 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-22.7

better than median (56.7)

Monroe vs Louisiana Statewide

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

Measure	Monroe	LA Statewide
Overall Score	34.0 Favorable	52.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#16 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 Monroe

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 20.5 Construction 26.3 Finance and Insurance 32.0 Other Services 33.9 Information 60.0

Retail Trade in Other Louisiana Metros

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 Hammond 69.7 #333/378 Lafayette 71.2 #344/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Monroe's 34.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Spartanburg, SC 34.1 #17/378 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 34.2 #18/378 Ithaca, NY 34.3 #19/378 Dubuque, IA 34.4 #20/378 Niles, MI 33.4 #15/378 Wausau, WI 34.6 #21/378 Laredo, TX 34.6 #22/378 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 34.7 #23/378 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI 34.8 #24/378 Jackson, MS 34.9 #25/378

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 Monroe's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (66.9) 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 Monroe, LA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment