NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Kansas City, MO

Metro Market Score 48.9 (Challenging), ranked #120 of 378 metros. 6,186 establishments, 109,937 jobs.

Metro Market Score 48.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

At #120 of 378 metros, Kansas City's retail trade sector scores 48.9 on the market index. Concentration (22.5), wage levels (57.1), and growth (47.4) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

22.5

LQ: 1.01

Rank #85 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

57.1

$38,595 avg wage

Growth Trend

47.4

Employment growth index

Rank #200 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

65.8

YoY wage change index

6,186 Retail Trade Firms in Kansas City

6,186

Establishments

-0.3% YoY

109,937

Total Employment

-0.3% YoY

$38,595

Average Annual Wage

+0.8% YoY

1.01

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Missouri

#6 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Missouri state rank

#42 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+0.7

worse than median (48.1)

Kansas City vs Missouri Statewide

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

Measure	Kansas City	MO Statewide
Overall Score	48.9 Challenging	50.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#120 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 Kansas City

Construction 57.9

Retail Trade in Other Missouri Metros

Columbia 32.6 #13/378 Joplin 37.4 #34/378 St. Joseph 41.3 #54/378 St. Louis 47.5 #105/378 Springfield 48.1 #112/378 Jefferson City 51.7 #159/378 Cape Girardeau 66.9 #320/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Kansas City's 48.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 48.8 #119/378 State College, PA 48.9 #121/378 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 48.9 #122/378 Duluth, MN 48.9 #123/378 Kokomo, IN 48.8 #118/378 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 48.7 #117/378 Williamsport, PA 49.0 #124/378 Clarksville, TN 48.6 #116/378 Wichita, KS 48.5 #115/378 Kenosha, WI 49.2 #125/378

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 Kansas City's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (52.6) 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 Kansas City, MO-KS MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment