NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Lewiston-Auburn, ME

Metro Market Score 53.3 (Challenging), ranked #177 of 378 metros. 431 establishments, 6,201 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.

📈Rapid Growth

Lewiston-Auburn stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 73.0 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 57.5 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

79.6

LQ: 1.28

Rank #301 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

73.0

$40,518 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 87.8

Employment growth index

Rank #47 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

57.5

YoY wage change index

431 Retail Trade Firms in Lewiston-Auburn

431

Establishments

-0.2% YoY

6,201

Total Employment

+2.1% YoY

$40,518

Average Annual Wage

-0.8% YoY

1.28

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Maine

#2 of 3

retail trade metros in state

Maine state rank

#29 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (53.3)

Lewiston-Auburn vs Maine Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Maine overall. The state ranks #29/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lewiston-Auburn	ME Statewide
Overall Score	53.3 Challenging	44.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#177 of 378 metros	#29 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 Lewiston-Auburn

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 29.9 Other Services 42.9 Healthcare and Social Assistance 49.3 Accommodation and Food Services 52.8 Administrative and Support Services 54.5 Finance and Insurance 62.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 68.0

Retail Trade in Other Maine Metros

Portland-South Portland 52.7 #171/378 Bangor 61.6 #271/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lewiston-Auburn's 53.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA 53.3 #178/378 Bloomington, IL 53.4 #179/378 El Centro, CA 53.6 #180/378 Pocatello, ID 53.0 #176/378 Casper, WY 53.6 #181/378 Albany, GA 53.6 #182/378 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 Maine

State-level entry risk for retail trade in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

New Hampshire 48.7 #40/51

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 Lewiston-Auburn's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (79.6) 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 Lewiston-Auburn, ME MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment