NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY

Metro Market Score 74.3 (Difficult), ranked #363 of 378 metros. 401 establishments, 5,675 jobs.

Metro Market Score 74.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

⚡Rising Wages

With a 1.41 location quotient, Watertown-Fort Drum has an outsized retail trade presence relative to its population. That concentration (index: 92.3) creates a mature local market where supplier networks are established but differentiation matters more.

Industry Concentration

92.3

LQ: 1.41

Rank #349 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

45.2

$37,065 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 16.9

Employment growth index

Rank #315 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

75.1

YoY wage change index

401 Retail Trade Firms in Watertown-Fort Drum

401

Establishments

-4.1% YoY

5,675

Total Employment

-2.4% YoY

$37,065

Average Annual Wage

+2.6% YoY

1.41

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within New York

#12 of 13

retail trade metros in state

New York state rank

#49 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+10.4

worse than median (63.9)

Watertown-Fort Drum 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	Watertown-Fort Drum	NY Statewide
Overall Score	74.3 Difficult	57.2 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#363 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 Watertown-Fort Drum

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 21.9 Finance and Insurance 33.6 Information 38.7 Construction 42.6 Other Services 48.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 50.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 50.5 Administrative and Support Services 53.5 Accommodation and Food Services 67.0

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 Elmira 63.9 #299/378 Kingston 64.4 #304/378 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh 66.0 #313/378 Utica-Rome 66.3 #316/378

+ 2 more metros. View all in New York →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Watertown-Fort Drum's 74.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Fairbanks-College, AK 74.3 #362/378 Chico, CA 74.5 #364/378 Pueblo, CO 74.5 #365/378 Ogden, UT 74.6 #366/378 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 74.0 #361/378 Worcester, MA 74.0 #360/378 Ocala, FL 73.6 #359/378 Hattiesburg, MS 73.6 #358/378 Tyler, TX 73.4 #357/378 Eugene-Springfield, OR 75.4 #367/378

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 Watertown-Fort Drum's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (83.1) 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment