NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Portland-South Portland, ME

Metro Market Score 52.7 (Challenging), ranked #171 of 378 metros. 2,398 establishments, 33,703 jobs.

Metro Market Score 52.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Wage costs in Portland-South Portland's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 77.0 and rising pressure at 71.5. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

57.9

LQ: 1.17

Rank #219 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

77.0

$40,978 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 84.4

Employment growth index

Rank #60 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

71.5

YoY wage change index

2,398 Retail Trade Firms in Portland-South Portland

2,398

Establishments

+1.1% YoY

33,703

Total Employment

+1.7% YoY

$40,978

Average Annual Wage

+1.9% YoY

1.17

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Maine

#1 of 3

retail trade metros in state

Maine state rank

#29 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-0.6

better than median (53.3)

Portland-South Portland vs Maine Statewide

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

Measure	Portland-South Portland	ME Statewide
Overall Score	52.7 Challenging	44.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#171 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 Portland-South Portland

Healthcare and Social Assistance 51.7 Other Services 52.3 Accommodation and Food Services 60.9 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 71.4

Retail Trade in Other Maine Metros

Lewiston-Auburn 53.3 #177/378 Bangor 61.6 #271/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Portland-South Portland's 52.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA 52.7 #170/378 Lincoln, NE 52.8 #172/378 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 52.8 #173/378 Ann Arbor, MI 52.6 #169/378 Corvallis, OR 52.9 #174/378 Anniston-Oxford, AL 52.9 #175/378 Lewiston, ID 52.5 #168/378 Pocatello, ID 53.0 #176/378 Texarkana, TX 52.4 #167/378 Winchester, VA 52.4 #166/378

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 Portland-South Portland's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (77.0) 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 Portland-South Portland, ME MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment