NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Saginaw, MI

Metro Market Score 60.8 (Difficult), ranked #265 of 378 metros. 606 establishments, 10,842 jobs.

Metro Market Score 60.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Saginaw scores 60.8 on the Metro Market Score for retail trade, placing it in the lower half. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

90.2

LQ: 1.37

Rank #341 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

42.6

$36,815 avg wage

Growth Trend

53.7

Employment growth index

Rank #176 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

68.4

YoY wage change index

606 Retail Trade Firms in Saginaw

606

Establishments

-9.3% YoY

10,842

Total Employment

-0.1% YoY

$36,815

Average Annual Wage

+1.3% YoY

1.37

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Michigan

#9 of 15

retail trade metros in state

Michigan state rank

#15 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+2.2

worse than median (58.5)

Saginaw vs Michigan Statewide

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

Measure	Saginaw	MI Statewide
Overall Score	60.8 Difficult	40.5 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#265 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 Saginaw

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 8.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 32.7 Accommodation and Food Services 37.4 Finance and Insurance 53.3 Information 53.9 Construction 55.1 Other Services 59.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 61.0 Administrative and Support Services 61.5

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 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 Saginaw's 60.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Sumter, SC 60.8 #266/378 Sioux City, IA 60.7 #264/378 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 60.7 #263/378 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 60.6 #262/378 Tucson, AZ 60.5 #260/378 Albany, OR 60.5 #261/378 Rockford, IL 60.5 #259/378 Providence-Warwick, RI 61.1 #267/378 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN 60.4 #258/378 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 60.4 #257/378

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 Saginaw's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (90.2) 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 Saginaw, MI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment