NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Barnstable Town, MA

Metro Market Score 83.1 (Difficult), ranked #378 of 378 metros. 1,307 establishments, 14,563 jobs.

Metro Market Score 83.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

🏭Industry Hub💰High-Cost Market

Barnstable Town is a specialized hub for retail trade, with a location quotient of 1.51 and industry concentration in the bottom 10%. Higher-than-average firm density means more competition for talent and customers, but also a deeper local supply chain and client pool.

Industry Concentration

96.3

LQ: 1.51

Rank #364 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

94.7

$44,996 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 27.0

Employment growth index

Rank #277 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

67.4

YoY wage change index

1,307 Retail Trade Firms in Barnstable Town

1,307

Establishments

-2.9% YoY

14,563

Total Employment

-1.5% YoY

$44,996

Average Annual Wage

+1.1% YoY

1.51

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Massachusetts

#6 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Massachusetts state rank

#4 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+9.1

worse than median (74.0)

Barnstable Town vs Massachusetts Statewide

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

Measure	Barnstable Town	MA Statewide
Overall Score	83.1 Difficult	37.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#378 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 Barnstable Town

Information 46.0 Administrative and Support Services 47.9 Finance and Insurance 59.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 67.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 67.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 68.2 Construction 72.9 Other Services 77.2 Accommodation and Food Services 82.3

Retail Trade in Other Massachusetts Metros

Amherst Town-Northampton 50.5 #148/378 Boston-Cambridge-Newton 56.0 #209/378 Springfield 67.8 #325/378 Worcester 74.0 #360/378 Pittsfield 77.0 #370/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Barnstable Town's 83.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Redding, CA 81.1 #377/378 Kahului-Wailuku, HI 79.9 #376/378 Great Falls, MT 78.9 #375/378 Medford, OR 78.9 #374/378 Coeur d'Alene, ID 78.6 #373/378 Salisbury, MD 78.6 #372/378

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 Barnstable Town's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (96.3) 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 Barnstable Town, MA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment