NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC

Metro Market Score 47.0 (Moderate), ranked #99 of 378 metros. 370 establishments, 5,020 jobs.

Metro Market Score 47.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

Pinehurst-Southern Pines pairs above-average retail trade concentration (73.8) with positive employment growth (trend: 59.3). The market is competitive but still expanding, leaving room for well-positioned new entrants.

Industry Concentration

73.8

LQ: 1.25

Rank #279 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

16.1

$34,350 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 59.3

Employment growth index

Rank #155 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

61.7

YoY wage change index

370 Retail Trade Firms in Pinehurst-Southern Pines

370

Establishments

+100.0% YoY

5,020

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$34,350

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

1.25

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within North Carolina

#6 of 15

retail trade metros in state

North Carolina state rank

#25 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-9.0

better than median (56.1)

Pinehurst-Southern Pines 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	Pinehurst-Southern Pines	NC Statewide
Overall Score	47.0 Moderate	43.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#99 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines

Information 37.9 Construction 39.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 40.1 Finance and Insurance 41.8 Administrative and Support Services 51.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 54.1 Other Services 66.0 Accommodation and Food Services 70.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 75.2

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 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines's 47.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI 47.1 #100/378 Columbus, OH 46.9 #98/378 Grand Forks, ND 47.2 #101/378 Cleveland, TN 47.2 #102/378 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA 46.8 #97/378 College Station-Bryan, TX 46.7 #96/378 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY 47.4 #103/378 Jonesboro, AR 47.4 #104/378 St. Louis, MO 47.5 #105/378 Sioux Falls, SD 46.6 #95/378

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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (73.8) 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment