NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Akron, OH

Metro Market Score 56.7 (Challenging), ranked #217 of 378 metros. 2,111 establishments, 33,781 jobs.

Metro Market Score 56.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Market conditions for retail trade in Akron are tougher than average. The 56.7 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, slowing employment, and moderate competition. Rank: #217 of 378 metros.

Industry Concentration

30.7

LQ: 1.06

Rank #116 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

63.5

$39,056 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 38.6

Employment growth index

Rank #233 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

73.6

YoY wage change index

2,111 Retail Trade Firms in Akron

2,111

Establishments

+0.1% YoY

33,781

Total Employment

-0.8% YoY

$39,056

Average Annual Wage

+2.3% YoY

1.06

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Ohio

#11 of 12

retail trade metros in state

Ohio state rank

#8 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+8.2

worse than median (48.5)

Akron vs Ohio Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Ohio overall. The state ranks #8/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Akron	OH Statewide
Overall Score	56.7 Challenging	39.2 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#217 of 378 metros	#8 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 Akron

Other Services 35.4 Accommodation and Food Services 43.9 Healthcare and Social Assistance 46.4 Construction 49.8 Administrative and Support Services 52.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 52.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 55.3 Information 60.9 Finance and Insurance 67.2

Retail Trade in Other Ohio Metros

Cleveland 38.7 #41/378 Canton-Massillon 39.6 #48/378 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek 40.9 #53/378 Toledo 45.2 #85/378 Columbus 46.9 #98/378 Lima 48.2 #113/378 Springfield 48.5 #114/378 Cincinnati 49.8 #133/378 Sandusky 50.6 #150/378 Mansfield 51.6 #158/378

+ 1 more metros. View all in Ohio →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Akron's 56.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Alexandria, LA 56.6 #216/378 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 56.7 #218/378 Yuba City, CA 56.6 #215/378 Owensboro, KY 56.8 #219/378 Salem, OR 56.8 #220/378 Muncie, IN 56.8 #221/378 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 56.4 #214/378 Bakersfield-Delano, CA 56.4 #213/378 Greensboro-High Point, NC 56.3 #212/378 Cheyenne, WY 57.1 #222/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Ohio

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

Pennsylvania 38.1 #6/51 Indiana 39.8 #10/51 Michigan 40.5 #15/51 Kentucky 46.4 #36/51 West Virginia 52.8 #47/51

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 Akron's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (61.4) 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 Akron, OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment