NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Worcester, MA

Metro Market Score 74.0 (Difficult), ranked #360 of 378 metros. 2,307 establishments, 37,057 jobs.

Metro Market Score 74.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Wage costs in Worcester's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 81.0 and rising pressure at 81.3. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

32.5

LQ: 1.06

Rank #123 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

81.0

$41,663 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 2.1

Employment growth index

Rank #371 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

81.3

YoY wage change index

2,307 Retail Trade Firms in Worcester

2,307

Establishments

-15.3% YoY

37,057

Total Employment

-13.1% YoY

$41,663

Average Annual Wage

+3.8% YoY

1.06

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Massachusetts

#4 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Massachusetts state rank

#4 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (74.0)

Worcester vs Massachusetts Statewide

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

Measure	Worcester	MA Statewide
Overall Score	74.0 Difficult	37.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#360 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 Worcester

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 61.4 Other Services 62.5 Information 65.6 Accommodation and Food Services 66.2 Administrative and Support Services 69.4 Construction 70.7 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 76.1 Finance and Insurance 77.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 84.9

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 Pittsfield 77.0 #370/378 Barnstable Town 83.1 #378/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Worcester's 74.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 74.0 #361/378 Fairbanks-College, AK 74.3 #362/378 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 74.3 #363/378 Ocala, FL 73.6 #359/378 Hattiesburg, MS 73.6 #358/378 Chico, CA 74.5 #364/378 Pueblo, CO 74.5 #365/378 Ogden, UT 74.6 #366/378 Tyler, TX 73.4 #357/378 Victoria, TX 73.0 #356/378

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 Worcester's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (97.9) 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 Worcester, MA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment