NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA

Metro Market Score 50.5 (Challenging), ranked #148 of 378 metros. 487 establishments, 7,387 jobs.

Metro Market Score 50.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Retail Trade conditions in Amherst Town-Northampton are mixed. The 50.5 market score puts it at #148 of 378, with no metric pulling sharply in either direction. Wages, growth, and competition are all within a normal range for this industry.

Industry Concentration

45.2

LQ: 1.12

Rank #171 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

52.9

$37,931 avg wage

Growth Trend

54.5

Employment growth index

Rank #173 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

61.7

YoY wage change index

487 Retail Trade Firms in Amherst Town-Northampton

487

Establishments

+100.0% YoY

7,387

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$37,931

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

1.12

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Massachusetts

#1 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Massachusetts state rank

#4 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-23.5

better than median (74.0)

Amherst Town-Northampton vs Massachusetts Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Massachusetts overall. The state ranks #4/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Amherst Town-Northampton	MA Statewide
Overall Score	50.5 Challenging	37.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#148 of 378 metros	#4 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 Amherst Town-Northampton

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 35.1 Finance and Insurance 37.8 Information 43.3 Construction 44.4 Administrative and Support Services 45.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 48.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 49.1 Accommodation and Food Services 53.6 Other Services 66.3

Retail Trade in Other Massachusetts Metros

Boston-Cambridge-Newton 56.0 #209/378 Springfield 67.8 #325/378 Worcester 74.0 #360/378 Pittsfield 77.0 #370/378 Barnstable Town 83.1 #378/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Amherst Town-Northampton's 50.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Sebring, FL 50.6 #149/378 Sherman-Denison, TX 50.5 #147/378 Sandusky, OH 50.6 #150/378 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC 50.4 #146/378 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 50.3 #145/378 Idaho Falls, ID 50.3 #144/378 Enid, OK 50.1 #143/378 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL 50.1 #142/378 Tulsa, OK 51.0 #151/378 Omaha, NE 51.0 #152/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Massachusetts

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

Rhode Island 42.3 #21/51 Connecticut 44.7 #31/51 New Hampshire 48.7 #40/51 Vermont 52.1 #45/51 New York 57.2 #49/51

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 Amherst Town-Northampton's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (45.5) 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 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment