NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Wilmington, NC

Metro Market Score 42.4 (Moderate), ranked #61 of 378 metros. 1,861 establishments, 24,626 jobs.

Metro Market Score 42.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth

Wilmington ranks in the top quartile for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 42.4, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

85.5

LQ: 1.32

Rank #323 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

50.5

$37,669 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 99.7

Employment growth index

Rank #2 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

41.5

YoY wage change index

1,861 Retail Trade Firms in Wilmington

1,861

Establishments

+37.5% YoY

24,626

Total Employment

+37.4% YoY

$37,669

Average Annual Wage

-3.9% YoY

1.32

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within North Carolina

#2 of 15

retail trade metros in state

North Carolina state rank

#25 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-13.7

better than median (56.1)

Wilmington 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	Wilmington	NC Statewide
Overall Score	42.4 Moderate	43.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#61 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 Wilmington

Construction 35.6 Other Services 38.6 Finance and Insurance 39.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 40.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 41.9 Accommodation and Food Services 50.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 61.5

Retail Trade in Other North Carolina Metros

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

Peoria, IL 42.4 #60/378 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 42.4 #62/378 Pittsburgh, PA 42.5 #63/378 Lawrence, KS 42.2 #59/378 Fargo, ND 42.5 #64/378 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 42.1 #58/378 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 42.7 #65/378 Longview, TX 42.7 #66/378 Trenton-Princeton, NJ 42.0 #57/378 Iowa City, IA 42.0 #56/378

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 Wilmington's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (85.5) 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 Wilmington, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment