NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Ann Arbor, MI

Metro Market Score 52.6 (Challenging), ranked #169 of 378 metros. 942 establishments, 15,024 jobs.

Metro Market Score 52.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Ann Arbor stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 74.6 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 75.1 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

0.5

LQ: 0.69

Rank #2 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

74.6

$40,670 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 37.3

Employment growth index

Rank #238 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

75.1

YoY wage change index

942 Retail Trade Firms in Ann Arbor

942

Establishments

-8.5% YoY

15,024

Total Employment

-0.9% YoY

$40,670

Average Annual Wage

+2.6% YoY

0.69

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Michigan

#5 of 15

retail trade metros in state

Michigan state rank

#15 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-5.9

better than median (58.5)

Ann Arbor vs Michigan Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Michigan overall. The state ranks #15/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Ann Arbor	MI Statewide
Overall Score	52.6 Challenging	40.5 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#169 of 378 metros	#15 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 Ann Arbor

Other Services 41.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 42.4 Construction 42.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 44.3 Finance and Insurance 52.0 Administrative and Support Services 54.2 Accommodation and Food Services 59.3 Information 61.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 81.1

Retail Trade in Other Michigan Metros

Niles 33.4 #15/378 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood 37.1 #32/378 Muskegon-Norton Shores 47.1 #100/378 Midland 50.1 #141/378 Lansing-East Lansing 55.0 #197/378 Monroe 55.1 #198/378 Battle Creek 58.5 #238/378 Saginaw 60.8 #265/378 Traverse City 61.3 #268/378 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 63.5 #293/378

+ 4 more metros. View all in Michigan →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Ann Arbor's 52.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA 52.7 #170/378 Lewiston, ID 52.5 #168/378 Portland-South Portland, ME 52.7 #171/378 Lincoln, NE 52.8 #172/378 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 52.8 #173/378 Texarkana, TX 52.4 #167/378 Corvallis, OR 52.9 #174/378 Winchester, VA 52.4 #166/378 Anniston-Oxford, AL 52.9 #175/378 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 52.3 #165/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Michigan

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

Wisconsin 33.3 #1/51 Ohio 39.2 #8/51 Indiana 39.8 #10/51

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 Ann Arbor's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (62.7) 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 Ann Arbor, MI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment