NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Carson City, NV

Metro Market Score 72.9 (Difficult), ranked #354 of 378 metros. 194 establishments, 3,307 jobs.

Metro Market Score 72.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Carson City stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 97.6 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 93.3 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

27.0

LQ: 1.04

Rank #102 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

97.6

$48,137 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 23.0

Employment growth index

Rank #292 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

93.3

YoY wage change index

194 Retail Trade Firms in Carson City

194

Establishments

+3.2% YoY

3,307

Total Employment

-1.8% YoY

$48,137

Average Annual Wage

+6.1% YoY

1.04

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Nevada

#2 of 2

retail trade metros in state

Nevada state rank

#3 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (72.9)

Carson City vs Nevada Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Nevada overall. The state ranks #3/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Carson City	NV Statewide
Overall Score	72.9 Difficult	37.0 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#354 of 378 metros	#3 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 Carson City

Information 23.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 36.2 Finance and Insurance 36.3 Construction 38.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 57.5 Accommodation and Food Services 58.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 60.0 Administrative and Support Services 65.2 Other Services 65.4

Retail Trade in Other Nevada Metros

Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas 60.4 #257/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Carson City's 72.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Abilene, TX 72.9 #355/378 Asheville, NC 72.8 #353/378 Dothan, AL 72.8 #352/378 Victoria, TX 73.0 #356/378 Anchorage, AK 72.7 #351/378 Tyler, TX 73.4 #357/378 Vallejo, CA 72.3 #350/378 Hattiesburg, MS 73.6 #358/378 Ocala, FL 73.6 #359/378 Grants Pass, OR 71.9 #349/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Nevada

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

Idaho 40.1 #12/51 Utah 40.3 #13/51 Oregon 42.9 #24/51 California 44.0 #28/51 Arizona 44.9 #32/51

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 Carson City's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (97.6) 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 Carson City, NV MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment