NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Asheville, NC

Metro Market Score 72.8 (Difficult), ranked #353 of 378 metros. 1,854 establishments, 23,422 jobs.

Metro Market Score 72.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Asheville's retail trade sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 2.4). That contraction, combined with a 72.8 market score, puts this metro in the bottom 10% for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

75.9

LQ: 1.27

Rank #287 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

47.6

$37,451 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 2.4

Employment growth index

Rank #370 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

63.2

YoY wage change index

1,854 Retail Trade Firms in Asheville

1,854

Establishments

-11.8% YoY

23,422

Total Employment

-12.8% YoY

$37,451

Average Annual Wage

+0.3% YoY

1.27

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within North Carolina

#15 of 15

retail trade metros in state

North Carolina state rank

#25 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+16.8

worse than median (56.1)

Asheville vs North Carolina Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to North Carolina overall. The state ranks #25/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Asheville	NC Statewide
Overall Score	72.8 Difficult	43.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#353 of 378 metros	#25 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 Asheville

Construction 56.7 Finance and Insurance 59.2 Information 64.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 65.0 Other Services 75.1 Accommodation and Food Services 85.4

Retail Trade in Other North Carolina Metros

Durham-Chapel Hill 40.3 #51/378 Wilmington 42.4 #61/378 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton 42.7 #65/378 Raleigh-Cary 44.4 #78/378 Goldsboro 45.0 #83/378 Pinehurst-Southern Pines 47.0 #99/378 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia 50.4 #146/378 Rocky Mount 56.1 #210/378 Greensboro-High Point 56.3 #212/378 Winston-Salem 60.3 #256/378

+ 4 more metros. View all in North Carolina →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Asheville's 72.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Dothan, AL 72.8 #352/378 Carson City, NV 72.9 #354/378 Abilene, TX 72.9 #355/378 Anchorage, AK 72.7 #351/378 Victoria, TX 73.0 #356/378 Vallejo, CA 72.3 #350/378 Tyler, TX 73.4 #357/378 Hattiesburg, MS 73.6 #358/378 Ocala, FL 73.6 #359/378 Grants Pass, OR 71.9 #349/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering North Carolina

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

Virginia 41.6 #17/51 Tennessee 42.8 #22/51 South Carolina 44.3 #30/51 Georgia 47.5 #38/51

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 Asheville's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (97.6) 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 Asheville, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment