NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

Metro Market Score 55.5 (Challenging), ranked #202 of 378 metros. 2,814 establishments, 45,212 jobs.

Metro Market Score 55.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Wage costs in Albany-Schenectady-Troy's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 85.7 and rising pressure at 71.5. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

21.4

LQ: 1.01

Rank #81 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

85.7

$42,479 avg wage

Growth Trend

52.1

Employment growth index

Rank #182 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

71.5

YoY wage change index

2,814 Retail Trade Firms in Albany-Schenectady-Troy

2,814

Establishments

-2.2% YoY

45,212

Total Employment

-0.1% YoY

$42,479

Average Annual Wage

+1.9% YoY

1.01

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within New York

#3 of 13

retail trade metros in state

New York state rank

#49 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-8.5

better than median (63.9)

Albany-Schenectady-Troy vs New York Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to New York overall. The state ranks #49/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Albany-Schenectady-Troy	NY Statewide
Overall Score	55.5 Challenging	57.2 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#202 of 378 metros	#49 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 Albany-Schenectady-Troy

Healthcare and Social Assistance 43.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 47.2 Accommodation and Food Services 48.4 Construction 55.5 Other Services 61.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 65.1 Information 70.7 Finance and Insurance 77.9

Retail Trade in Other New York Metros

Ithaca 34.3 #19/378 Buffalo-Cheektowaga 42.4 #62/378 Syracuse 57.9 #230/378 Binghamton 60.2 #254/378 Rochester 62.6 #281/378 Elmira 63.9 #299/378 Kingston 64.4 #304/378 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh 66.0 #313/378 Utica-Rome 66.3 #316/378 New York-Newark-Jersey City 70.0 #339/378

+ 2 more metros. View all in New York →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Albany-Schenectady-Troy's 55.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Michigan City-La Porte, IN 55.6 #203/378 Hanford-Corcoran, CA 55.6 #204/378 Farmington, NM 55.3 #201/378 Port St. Lucie, FL 55.7 #205/378 Albuquerque, NM 55.2 #200/378 Lebanon, PA 55.1 #199/378 Janesville-Beloit, WI 55.8 #206/378 Weirton-Steubenville, WV 55.8 #207/378 Monroe, MI 55.1 #198/378 Lansing-East Lansing, MI 55.0 #197/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering New York

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

Massachusetts 37.1 #4/51 Pennsylvania 38.1 #6/51 New Jersey 43.7 #27/51 Connecticut 44.7 #31/51 Vermont 52.1 #45/51

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 Albany-Schenectady-Troy's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (85.7) 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 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment