NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Columbia, MO

Metro Market Score 32.6 (Favorable), ranked #13 of 378 metros. 625 establishments, 11,442 jobs.

Metro Market Score 32.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

📈Rapid Growth

Columbia ranks in the top 10% for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 32.6, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

35.2

LQ: 1.08

Rank #133 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

37.3

$36,362 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 96.3

Employment growth index

Rank #15 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

66.8

YoY wage change index

625 Retail Trade Firms in Columbia

625

Establishments

+11.8% YoY

11,442

Total Employment

+8.3% YoY

$36,362

Average Annual Wage

+1.0% YoY

1.08

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Missouri

#1 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Missouri state rank

#42 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-15.5

better than median (48.1)

Columbia vs Missouri Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Missouri overall. The state ranks #42/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Columbia	MO Statewide
Overall Score	32.6 Favorable	50.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#13 of 378 metros	#42 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 Columbia

Construction 19.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 42.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 42.7 Finance and Insurance 72.3

Retail Trade in Other Missouri Metros

Joplin 37.4 #34/378 St. Joseph 41.3 #54/378 St. Louis 47.5 #105/378 Springfield 48.1 #112/378 Kansas City 48.9 #120/378 Jefferson City 51.7 #159/378 Cape Girardeau 66.9 #320/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Columbia's 32.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Huntington-Ashland, WV 32.4 #12/378 Tuscaloosa, AL 32.9 #14/378 Rochester, MN 32.2 #11/378 Morgantown, WV 31.9 #10/378 Niles, MI 33.4 #15/378 Monroe, LA 34.0 #16/378 Spartanburg, SC 34.1 #17/378 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 31.0 #9/378 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 34.2 #18/378 Columbus, GA 30.9 #8/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Missouri

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

Nebraska 35.9 #2/51 Kansas 40.4 #14/51 Iowa 40.8 #16/51 Tennessee 42.8 #22/51 Oklahoma 46.3 #35/51 Kentucky 46.4 #36/51 Illinois 48.1 #39/51 Arkansas 51.8 #44/51

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 Columbia's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (66.8) 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 Columbia, MO MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment