NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Columbus, OH

Metro Market Score 46.9 (Moderate), ranked #98 of 378 metros. 5,917 establishments, 102,992 jobs.

Metro Market Score 46.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

⚡Rising Wages🌱Emerging Market

Wage costs in Columbus's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 73.5 and rising pressure at 72.5. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

13.5

LQ: 0.95

Rank #51 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

73.5

$40,560 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 64.5

Employment growth index

Rank #135 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.5

YoY wage change index

5,917 Retail Trade Firms in Columbus

5,917

Establishments

+0.2% YoY

102,992

Total Employment

+0.2% YoY

$40,560

Average Annual Wage

+2.1% YoY

0.95

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Ohio

#5 of 12

retail trade metros in state

Ohio state rank

#8 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-1.6

better than median (48.5)

Columbus vs Ohio Statewide

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

Measure	Columbus	OH Statewide
Overall Score	46.9 Moderate	39.2 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#98 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 Columbus

Construction 46.2 Accommodation and Food Services 51.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 54.8 Other Services 62.2 Finance and Insurance 78.4

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 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 Columbus's 46.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA 46.8 #97/378 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 47.0 #99/378 College Station-Bryan, TX 46.7 #96/378 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI 47.1 #100/378 Grand Forks, ND 47.2 #101/378 Cleveland, TN 47.2 #102/378 Sioux Falls, SD 46.6 #95/378 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA 46.5 #94/378 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 46.5 #93/378 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY 47.4 #103/378

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 Columbus's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (73.5) 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 Columbus, OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment