NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN

Metro Market Score 46.1 (Moderate), ranked #92 of 378 metros. 9,761 establishments, 178,060 jobs.

Metro Market Score 46.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages🌱Emerging Market

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington ranks in the top quartile for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 46.1, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

9.8

LQ: 0.92

Rank #37 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

78.8

$41,149 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 69.3

Employment growth index

Rank #117 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

73.6

YoY wage change index

9,761 Retail Trade Firms in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington

9,761

Establishments

+1.3% YoY

178,060

Total Employment

+0.4% YoY

$41,149

Average Annual Wage

+2.3% YoY

0.92

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Minnesota

#2 of 5

retail trade metros in state

Minnesota state rank

#9 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-2.9

better than median (48.9)

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington vs Minnesota Statewide

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

Measure	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington	MN Statewide
Overall Score	46.1 Moderate	39.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#92 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington

Accommodation and Food Services 45.5 Construction 59.5 Other Services 61.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 62.4 Information 64.3 Finance and Insurance 80.5

Retail Trade in Other Minnesota Metros

Rochester 32.2 #11/378 Duluth 48.9 #123/378 St. Cloud 54.1 #189/378 Mankato 57.4 #224/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington's 46.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Oklahoma City, OK 46.1 #91/378 Madison, WI 45.9 #90/378 Lexington Park, MD 45.8 #89/378 Eagle Pass, TX 45.7 #88/378 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 46.5 #93/378 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA 46.5 #94/378 Sioux Falls, SD 46.6 #95/378 Eau Claire, WI 45.5 #87/378 College Station-Bryan, TX 46.7 #96/378 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA 46.8 #97/378

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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (78.8) 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment