NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

Metro Market Score 63.5 (Difficult), ranked #293 of 378 metros. 13,804 establishments, 192,675 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 63.5
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 86.5 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 70.0 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
22.2
LQ: 1.01
Rank #84 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
86.5
$42,780 avg wage
Growth Trend
↓ 25.7
Employment growth index
Rank #282 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
70.0
YoY wage change index

13,804 Retail Trade Firms in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn

13,804
Establishments
-10.7% YoY
192,675
Total Employment
-1.6% YoY
$42,780
Average Annual Wage
+1.6% YoY
1.01
Location Quotient
Above national avg

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn vs Michigan Statewide

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

Measure Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MI Statewide
Overall Score 63.5 Difficult 40.5 Moderate
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #293 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn

Accommodation and Food Services 47.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 48.6 Construction 50.0 Finance and Insurance 54.5 Other Services 58.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 61.4 Information 63.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 79.1

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 Ann Arbor 52.6 #169/378 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

+ 4 more metros. View all in Michigan →

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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (74.3) 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

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.