NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Grand Forks, ND

Metro Market Score 47.2 (Moderate), ranked #101 of 378 metros. 377 establishments, 6,830 jobs.

Metro Market Score 47.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Employment in Grand Forks's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 88.9. Combined with a 47.2 market score, this metro sits in the upper half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

81.5

LQ: 1.30

Rank #308 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

32.3

$35,940 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 88.9

Employment growth index

Rank #43 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

77.2

YoY wage change index

377 Retail Trade Firms in Grand Forks

377

Establishments

+0.8% YoY

6,830

Total Employment

+2.3% YoY

$35,940

Average Annual Wage

+3.0% YoY

1.30

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within North Dakota

#2 of 3

retail trade metros in state

North Dakota state rank

#41 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (47.2)

Grand Forks vs North Dakota Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to North Dakota overall. The state ranks #41/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Grand Forks	ND Statewide
Overall Score	47.2 Moderate	49.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#101 of 378 metros	#41 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 Grand Forks

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 23.1 Finance and Insurance 38.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 42.0 Accommodation and Food Services 43.1 Construction 45.5 Other Services 47.6 Information 62.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 68.2

Retail Trade in Other North Dakota Metros

Fargo 42.5 #64/378 Minot 62.5 #280/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Grand Forks's 47.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Cleveland, TN 47.2 #102/378 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI 47.1 #100/378 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 47.0 #99/378 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY 47.4 #103/378 Jonesboro, AR 47.4 #104/378 St. Louis, MO 47.5 #105/378 Columbus, OH 46.9 #98/378 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA 46.8 #97/378 College Station-Bryan, TX 46.7 #96/378 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 47.7 #106/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering North Dakota

State-level entry risk for retail trade in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

South Dakota 38.9 #7/51 Minnesota 39.6 #9/51 Montana 45.8 #34/51

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 Grand Forks's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (81.5) 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 Grand Forks, ND-MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment