NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Great Falls, MT

Metro Market Score 78.9 (Difficult), ranked #375 of 378 metros. 314 establishments, 4,830 jobs.

Metro Market Score 78.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

⚡Rising Wages

Great Falls's retail trade sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 15.1). That contraction, combined with a 78.9 market score, puts this metro in the bottom 10% for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

84.7

LQ: 1.32

Rank #320 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

58.7

$38,658 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 15.1

Employment growth index

Rank #322 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

88.1

YoY wage change index

314 Retail Trade Firms in Great Falls

314

Establishments

-2.2% YoY

4,830

Total Employment

-2.4% YoY

$38,658

Average Annual Wage

+5.1% YoY

1.32

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Montana

#5 of 5

retail trade metros in state

Montana state rank

#34 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+14.7

worse than median (64.3)

Great Falls vs Montana Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Montana overall. The state ranks #34/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Great Falls	MT Statewide
Overall Score	78.9 Difficult	45.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#375 of 378 metros	#34 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 Great Falls

Information 20.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 24.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 29.8 Finance and Insurance 49.9 Administrative and Support Services 52.5 Accommodation and Food Services 53.7 Other Services 62.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 68.1 Construction 73.0

Retail Trade in Other Montana Metros

Helena 54.2 #192/378 Missoula 58.9 #243/378 Billings 64.3 #303/378 Bozeman 70.0 #338/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Great Falls's 78.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Medford, OR 78.9 #374/378 Coeur d'Alene, ID 78.6 #373/378 Salisbury, MD 78.6 #372/378 Kahului-Wailuku, HI 79.9 #376/378 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC 77.7 #371/378 Pittsfield, MA 77.0 #370/378 Redding, CA 81.1 #377/378 Youngstown-Warren, OH 75.8 #369/378 Glens Falls, NY 75.8 #368/378 Eugene-Springfield, OR 75.4 #367/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Montana

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

South Dakota 38.9 #7/51 Idaho 40.1 #12/51 Wyoming 44.9 #33/51 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 Great Falls's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (84.9) 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 Great Falls, MT MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment