NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

Metro Market Score 40.3 (Moderate), ranked #51 of 378 metros. 1,594 establishments, 23,893 jobs.

Metro Market Score 40.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

🌱Emerging Market

Durham-Chapel Hill ranks in the top quartile for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 40.3, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

0.8

LQ: 0.70

Rank #3 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

70.6

$40,167 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 72.0

Employment growth index

Rank #107 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

70.0

YoY wage change index

1,594 Retail Trade Firms in Durham-Chapel Hill

1,594

Establishments

-1.1% YoY

23,893

Total Employment

+0.6% YoY

$40,167

Average Annual Wage

+1.6% YoY

0.70

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within North Carolina

#1 of 15

retail trade metros in state

North Carolina state rank

#25 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-15.8

better than median (56.1)

Durham-Chapel Hill 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	Durham-Chapel Hill	NC Statewide
Overall Score	40.3 Moderate	43.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#51 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 Durham-Chapel Hill

Construction 31.9 Accommodation and Food Services 40.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 40.8 Other Services 49.7 Administrative and Support Services 50.5 Finance and Insurance 62.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 66.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 67.4 Information 80.0

Retail Trade in Other North Carolina Metros

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 Burlington 61.6 #274/378

+ 4 more metros. View all in North Carolina →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Durham-Chapel Hill's 40.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Jackson, TN 40.4 #52/378 Springfield, IL 40.0 #50/378 Bloomington, IN 39.6 #49/378 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH 40.9 #53/378 Canton-Massillon, OH 39.6 #48/378 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 39.2 #47/378 St. Joseph, MO 41.3 #54/378 Appleton, WI 39.0 #46/378 Gainesville, GA 39.0 #45/378 Lake Charles, LA 39.0 #44/378

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 Durham-Chapel Hill's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (70.6) 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment