NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Mankato, MN

Metro Market Score 57.4 (Challenging), ranked #224 of 378 metros. 359 establishments, 6,834 jobs.

Metro Market Score 57.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Market conditions for retail trade in Mankato are tougher than average. The 57.4 market score reflects a combination of moderate wages, slowing employment, and an already crowded field. Rank: #224 of 378 metros.

Industry Concentration

69.8

LQ: 1.22

Rank #264 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

17.2

$34,526 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 28.0

Employment growth index

Rank #273 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

70.5

YoY wage change index

359 Retail Trade Firms in Mankato

359

Establishments

+1.7% YoY

6,834

Total Employment

-1.5% YoY

$34,526

Average Annual Wage

+1.7% YoY

1.22

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Minnesota

#5 of 5

retail trade metros in state

Minnesota state rank

#9 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+8.5

worse than median (48.9)

Mankato vs Minnesota Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Minnesota overall. The state ranks #9/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Mankato	MN Statewide
Overall Score	57.4 Challenging	39.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#224 of 378 metros	#9 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 Mankato

Accommodation and Food Services 32.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 33.8 Finance and Insurance 41.0 Other Services 46.9 Construction 51.1 Information 54.3

Retail Trade in Other Minnesota Metros

Rochester 32.2 #11/378 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 46.1 #92/378 Duluth 48.9 #123/378 St. Cloud 54.1 #189/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Mankato's 57.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Terre Haute, IN 57.5 #225/378 Lynchburg, VA 57.5 #226/378 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 57.6 #227/378 Johnstown, PA 57.2 #223/378 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL 57.7 #228/378 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 57.8 #229/378 Cheyenne, WY 57.1 #222/378 Syracuse, NY 57.9 #230/378 Muncie, IN 56.8 #221/378 Owensboro, KY 56.8 #219/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Minnesota

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

Wisconsin 33.3 #1/51 South Dakota 38.9 #7/51 Iowa 40.8 #16/51 North Dakota 49.9 #41/51

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 Mankato's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (72.0) 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 Mankato, MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment