NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

Metro Market Score 48.9 (Challenging), ranked #122 of 378 metros. 7,976 establishments, 123,736 jobs.

Metro Market Score 48.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages🌱Emerging Market

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 84.7 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 72.0 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

7.7

LQ: 0.91

Rank #29 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

84.7

$42,272 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 61.9

Employment growth index

Rank #145 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.0

YoY wage change index

7,976 Retail Trade Firms in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

7,976

Establishments

-1.0% YoY

123,736

Total Employment

+0.1% YoY

$42,272

Average Annual Wage

+2.0% YoY

0.91

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Maryland

#2 of 4

retail trade metros in state

Maryland state rank

#26 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-3.9

better than median (52.8)

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson vs Maryland Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Maryland overall. The state ranks #26/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson	MD Statewide
Overall Score	48.9 Challenging	43.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#122 of 378 metros	#26 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

Accommodation and Food Services 45.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 58.6 Construction 61.5 Administrative and Support Services 61.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 63.3 Finance and Insurance 72.8

Retail Trade in Other Maryland Metros

Lexington Park 45.8 #89/378 Hagerstown-Martinsburg 52.8 #173/378 Salisbury 78.6 #372/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's 48.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

State College, PA 48.9 #121/378 Duluth, MN 48.9 #123/378 Kansas City, MO 48.9 #120/378 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 48.8 #119/378 Williamsport, PA 49.0 #124/378 Kokomo, IN 48.8 #118/378 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 48.7 #117/378 Clarksville, TN 48.6 #116/378 Kenosha, WI 49.2 #125/378 Erie, PA 49.3 #126/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Maryland

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

Pennsylvania 38.1 #6/51 Virginia 41.6 #17/51 Delaware 41.8 #19/51 West Virginia 52.8 #47/51 District of Columbia 58.0 #50/51

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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (84.7) 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment