NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Missoula, MT

Metro Market Score 58.9 (Challenging), ranked #243 of 378 metros. 547 establishments, 9,105 jobs.

Metro Market Score 58.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth

Missoula stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 83.3 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 69.4 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

88.9

LQ: 1.36

Rank #336 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

83.3

$42,227 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 93.4

Employment growth index

Rank #26 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

69.4

YoY wage change index

547 Retail Trade Firms in Missoula

547

Establishments

-2.0% YoY

9,105

Total Employment

+3.5% YoY

$42,227

Average Annual Wage

+1.5% YoY

1.36

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Montana

#2 of 5

retail trade metros in state

Montana state rank

#34 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-5.3

better than median (64.3)

Missoula vs Montana Statewide

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

Measure	Missoula	MT Statewide
Overall Score	58.9 Challenging	45.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#243 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 Missoula

Construction 47.4 Accommodation and Food Services 52.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 56.6 Other Services 65.1

Retail Trade in Other Montana Metros

Helena 54.2 #192/378 Billings 64.3 #303/378 Bozeman 70.0 #338/378 Great Falls 78.9 #375/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Missoula's 58.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Kennewick-Richland, WA 58.9 #242/378 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 59.0 #244/378 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 58.7 #241/378 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 59.2 #245/378 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 58.6 #240/378 Battle Creek, MI 58.5 #238/378 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 58.5 #239/378 Bellingham, WA 58.5 #237/378 Morristown, TN 58.4 #236/378 Waterbury-Shelton, CT 58.4 #235/378

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 Missoula's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (88.9) 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 Missoula, MT MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment