NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA

Metro Market Score 53.3 (Challenging), ranked #178 of 378 metros. 1,070 establishments, 12,990 jobs.

Metro Market Score 53.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Despite a mature retail trade presence (concentration: 88.1), Slidell-Mandeville-Covington is still adding jobs in this sector. Growth trend sits at 60.6, and the overall 53.3 market score lands in the upper half. Established markets with growth are worth a closer look.

Industry Concentration

88.1

LQ: 1.35

Rank #333 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

28.6

$35,657 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 60.6

Employment growth index

Rank #150 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

61.7

YoY wage change index

1,070 Retail Trade Firms in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington

1,070

Establishments

+100.0% YoY

12,990

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$35,657

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

1.35

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Louisiana

#4 of 10

retail trade metros in state

Louisiana state rank

#46 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-3.4

better than median (56.7)

Slidell-Mandeville-Covington vs Louisiana Statewide

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

Measure	Slidell-Mandeville-Covington	LA Statewide
Overall Score	53.3 Challenging	52.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#178 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.

Retail Trade in Other Louisiana Metros

Monroe 34.0 #16/378 Lake Charles 39.0 #44/378 Baton Rouge 44.2 #77/378 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 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington's 53.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Lewiston-Auburn, ME 53.3 #177/378 Bloomington, IL 53.4 #179/378 El Centro, CA 53.6 #180/378 Casper, WY 53.6 #181/378 Albany, GA 53.6 #182/378 Pocatello, ID 53.0 #176/378 Green Bay, WI 53.7 #183/378 Salinas, CA 53.7 #184/378 El Paso, TX 53.7 #185/378 Anniston-Oxford, AL 52.9 #175/378

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 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (88.1) 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 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment