NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in St. Cloud, MN

Metro Market Score 54.1 (Challenging), ranked #189 of 378 metros. 716 establishments, 13,169 jobs.

Metro Market Score 54.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

St. Cloud pairs above-average retail trade concentration (75.4) with positive employment growth (trend: 88.4). The market is competitive but still expanding, leaving room for well-positioned new entrants.

Industry Concentration

75.4

LQ: 1.26

Rank #285 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

63.8

$39,080 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 88.4

Employment growth index

Rank #45 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

79.3

YoY wage change index

716 Retail Trade Firms in St. Cloud

716

Establishments

+1.4% YoY

13,169

Total Employment

+2.1% YoY

$39,080

Average Annual Wage

+3.4% YoY

1.26

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Minnesota

#4 of 5

retail trade metros in state

Minnesota state rank

#9 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+5.2

worse than median (48.9)

St. Cloud vs Minnesota Statewide

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

Measure	St. Cloud	MN Statewide
Overall Score	54.1 Challenging	39.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#189 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 St. Cloud

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 15.9 Accommodation and Food Services 39.7 Other Services 43.9 Healthcare and Social Assistance 57.2 Information 57.9 Finance and Insurance 58.9 Administrative and Support Services 60.4 Construction 62.4

Retail Trade in Other Minnesota Metros

Rochester 32.2 #11/378 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 46.1 #92/378 Duluth 48.9 #123/378 Mankato 57.4 #224/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of St. Cloud's 54.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Colorado Springs, CO 54.1 #190/378 Beckley, WV 54.2 #191/378 Helena, MT 54.2 #192/378 Athens-Clarke County, GA 54.2 #193/378 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 54.0 #188/378 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 54.0 #187/378 Harrisonburg, VA 53.9 #186/378 El Paso, TX 53.7 #185/378 Salinas, CA 53.7 #184/378 Green Bay, WI 53.7 #183/378

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 St. Cloud's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (75.4) 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 St. Cloud, MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment