NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Greenville, NC

Metro Market Score 62.9 (Difficult), ranked #283 of 378 metros. 612 establishments, 9,274 jobs.

Metro Market Score 62.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Greenville's retail trade sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 8.2). That contraction, combined with a 62.9 market score, puts this metro in the lower half for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

49.7

LQ: 1.14

Rank #188 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

36.0

$36,300 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 8.2

Employment growth index

Rank #348 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

69.4

YoY wage change index

612 Retail Trade Firms in Greenville

612

Establishments

-1.8% YoY

9,274

Total Employment

-3.5% YoY

$36,300

Average Annual Wage

+1.5% YoY

1.14

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within North Carolina

#12 of 15

retail trade metros in state

North Carolina state rank

#25 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+6.8

worse than median (56.1)

Greenville 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	Greenville	NC Statewide
Overall Score	62.9 Difficult	43.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#283 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 Greenville

Other Services 23.3 Construction 29.9 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 32.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 33.8 Finance and Insurance 39.1 Information 46.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 47.9 Accommodation and Food Services 54.0 Administrative and Support Services 77.1

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 Greenville's 62.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR 62.9 #284/378 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 62.9 #285/378 Wichita Falls, TX 62.8 #282/378 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC 62.9 #286/378 Rochester, NY 62.6 #281/378 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL 63.1 #287/378 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ 63.2 #288/378 Minot, ND 62.5 #280/378 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 63.2 #289/378 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 62.5 #279/378

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 Greenville's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (91.8) 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 Greenville, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment