NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

Metro Market Score 42.7 (Moderate), ranked #65 of 378 metros. 1,286 establishments, 16,714 jobs.

Metro Market Score 42.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

Labor costs are a clear advantage in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton's retail trade sector. The wage competitiveness index of 19.3 puts it among the lowest-cost metros, and wage pressure at 0.0 suggests that gap is holding steady.

Industry Concentration

37.6

LQ: 1.09

Rank #142 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

19.3

$34,683 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 5.0

Employment growth index

Rank #360 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

0.0

YoY wage change index

1,286 Retail Trade Firms in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton

1,286

Establishments

-2.5% YoY

16,714

Total Employment

-6.3% YoY

$34,683

Average Annual Wage

-11.9% YoY

1.09

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within North Carolina

#3 of 15

retail trade metros in state

North Carolina state rank

#25 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-13.4

better than median (56.1)

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton 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	Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton	NC Statewide
Overall Score	42.7 Moderate	43.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#65 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton

Construction 19.7 Accommodation and Food Services 30.8 Finance and Insurance 33.1 Other Services 33.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.4 Administrative and Support Services 45.1 Information 45.4

Retail Trade in Other North Carolina Metros

Durham-Chapel Hill 40.3 #51/378 Wilmington 42.4 #61/378 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton's 42.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Longview, TX 42.7 #66/378 Rome, GA 42.8 #67/378 Lexington-Fayette, KY 42.8 #68/378 Fargo, ND 42.5 #64/378 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 42.9 #69/378 Pittsburgh, PA 42.5 #63/378 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 42.4 #62/378 Peoria, IL 42.4 #60/378 Wilmington, NC 42.4 #61/378 Midland, TX 43.1 #70/378

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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (95.0) 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment