NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Canton-Massillon, OH

Metro Market Score 39.6 (Moderate), ranked #48 of 378 metros. 1,220 establishments, 19,934 jobs.

Metro Market Score 39.6

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

Canton-Massillon ranks in the top quartile for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 39.6, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

65.1

LQ: 1.21

Rank #246 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

12.7

$33,837 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 79.9

Employment growth index

Rank #77 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

70.5

YoY wage change index

1,220 Retail Trade Firms in Canton-Massillon

1,220

Establishments

-0.1% YoY

19,934

Total Employment

+1.2% YoY

$33,837

Average Annual Wage

+1.7% YoY

1.21

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Ohio

#2 of 12

retail trade metros in state

Ohio state rank

#8 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-8.9

better than median (48.5)

Canton-Massillon vs Ohio Statewide

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

Measure	Canton-Massillon	OH Statewide
Overall Score	39.6 Moderate	39.2 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#48 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 Canton-Massillon

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 33.8 Information 40.0 Accommodation and Food Services 45.3 Construction 46.3 Finance and Insurance 51.2 Other Services 57.6 Administrative and Support Services 60.1

Retail Trade in Other Ohio Metros

Cleveland 38.7 #41/378 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 Akron 56.7 #217/378

+ 1 more metros. View all in Ohio →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Canton-Massillon's 39.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Bloomington, IN 39.6 #49/378 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 39.2 #47/378 Springfield, IL 40.0 #50/378 Appleton, WI 39.0 #46/378 Gainesville, GA 39.0 #45/378 Lake Charles, LA 39.0 #44/378 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 40.3 #51/378 Napa, CA 38.8 #43/378 Jackson, TN 40.4 #52/378 Reading, PA 38.7 #42/378

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 Canton-Massillon's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (65.1) 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 Canton-Massillon, OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment