NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

Metro Market Score 42.4 (Moderate), ranked #62 of 378 metros. 3,493 establishments, 57,171 jobs.

Metro Market Score 42.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Employment in Buffalo-Cheektowaga's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 84.9. Combined with a 42.4 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

32.8

LQ: 1.07

Rank #124 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

60.9

$38,809 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 84.9

Employment growth index

Rank #58 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.5

YoY wage change index

3,493 Retail Trade Firms in Buffalo-Cheektowaga

3,493

Establishments

-3.1% YoY

57,171

Total Employment

+1.8% YoY

$38,809

Average Annual Wage

+2.1% YoY

1.07

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within New York

#2 of 13

retail trade metros in state

New York state rank

#49 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-21.5

better than median (63.9)

Buffalo-Cheektowaga 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	Buffalo-Cheektowaga	NY Statewide
Overall Score	42.4 Moderate	57.2 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#62 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga

Healthcare and Social Assistance 40.2 Information 46.2 Construction 51.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 54.2 Accommodation and Food Services 56.6 Other Services 60.2 Administrative and Support Services 64.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 65.1 Finance and Insurance 74.4

Retail Trade in Other New York Metros

Ithaca 34.3 #19/378 Albany-Schenectady-Troy 55.5 #202/378 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga's 42.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Pittsburgh, PA 42.5 #63/378 Peoria, IL 42.4 #60/378 Wilmington, NC 42.4 #61/378 Fargo, ND 42.5 #64/378 Lawrence, KS 42.2 #59/378 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 42.7 #65/378 Longview, TX 42.7 #66/378 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 42.1 #58/378 Rome, GA 42.8 #67/378 Lexington-Fayette, KY 42.8 #68/378

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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (60.9) 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment