NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Ithaca, NY

Metro Market Score 34.3 (Favorable), ranked #19 of 378 metros. 306 establishments, 4,311 jobs.

Metro Market Score 34.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

📈Rapid Growth🌱Emerging Market

Ithaca ranks in the top 10% for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 34.3, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

7.1

LQ: 0.90

Rank #27 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

51.9

$37,745 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 78.6

Employment growth index

Rank #82 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

65.8

YoY wage change index

306 Retail Trade Firms in Ithaca

306

Establishments

-3.2% YoY

4,311

Total Employment

+1.0% YoY

$37,745

Average Annual Wage

+0.8% YoY

0.90

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within New York

#1 of 13

retail trade metros in state

New York state rank

#49 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-29.6

better than median (63.9)

Ithaca 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	Ithaca	NY Statewide
Overall Score	34.3 Favorable	57.2 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#19 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 Ithaca

Construction 31.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 36.4 Administrative and Support Services 40.6 Information 54.0 Accommodation and Food Services 54.9 Other Services 60.1 Finance and Insurance 62.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 65.4

Retail Trade in Other New York Metros

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 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 Ithaca's 34.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Dubuque, IA 34.4 #20/378 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 34.2 #18/378 Wausau, WI 34.6 #21/378 Spartanburg, SC 34.1 #17/378 Laredo, TX 34.6 #22/378 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 34.7 #23/378 Monroe, LA 34.0 #16/378 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI 34.8 #24/378 Jackson, MS 34.9 #25/378 Topeka, KS 35.1 #26/378

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 Ithaca's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (65.8) 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 Ithaca, NY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment