NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Elmira, NY

Metro Market Score 63.9 (Difficult), ranked #299 of 378 metros. 285 establishments, 4,534 jobs.

Metro Market Score 63.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Retail Trade employment in Elmira contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the bottom quartile at 5.6. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

87.6

LQ: 1.35

Rank #331 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

49.5

$37,543 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 5.6

Employment growth index

Rank #358 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

6.7

YoY wage change index

285 Retail Trade Firms in Elmira

285

Establishments

-2.7% YoY

4,534

Total Employment

-5.4% YoY

$37,543

Average Annual Wage

-10.6% YoY

1.35

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within New York

#7 of 13

retail trade metros in state

New York state rank

#49 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (63.9)

Elmira 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	Elmira	NY Statewide
Overall Score	63.9 Difficult	57.2 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#299 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 Elmira

Administrative and Support Services 22.4 Finance and Insurance 25.2 Construction 31.2 Information 37.0 Other Services 39.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 40.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 43.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 45.6 Accommodation and Food Services 59.7

Retail Trade in Other New York Metros

Ithaca 34.3 #19/378 Buffalo-Cheektowaga 42.4 #62/378 Albany-Schenectady-Troy 55.5 #202/378 Syracuse 57.9 #230/378 Binghamton 60.2 #254/378 Rochester 62.6 #281/378 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 Elmira's 63.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Elizabethtown, KY 64.0 #300/378 Macon-Bibb County, GA 63.9 #298/378 Modesto, CA 64.0 #301/378 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 64.1 #302/378 Knoxville, TN 63.7 #297/378 Billings, MT 64.3 #303/378 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 63.6 #295/378 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR 63.6 #296/378 Fayetteville, NC 63.5 #292/378 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 63.5 #293/378

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 Elmira's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (94.4) 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 Elmira, NY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment