NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Youngstown-Warren, OH

Metro Market Score 75.8 (Difficult), ranked #369 of 378 metros. 1,472 establishments, 21,186 jobs.

Metro Market Score 75.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

⚡Rising Wages

Youngstown-Warren's retail trade sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 1.3). That contraction, combined with a 75.8 market score, puts this metro in the bottom 10% for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

85.7

LQ: 1.33

Rank #324 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

31.5

$35,858 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 1.3

Employment growth index

Rank #374 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

84.5

YoY wage change index

1,472 Retail Trade Firms in Youngstown-Warren

1,472

Establishments

-22.2% YoY

21,186

Total Employment

-22.1% YoY

$35,858

Average Annual Wage

+4.4% YoY

1.33

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Ohio

#12 of 12

retail trade metros in state

Ohio state rank

#8 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+27.3

worse than median (48.5)

Youngstown-Warren vs Ohio Statewide

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

Measure	Youngstown-Warren	OH Statewide
Overall Score	75.8 Difficult	39.2 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#369 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 Youngstown-Warren

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 43.3 Finance and Insurance 48.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 50.9 Information 57.3 Administrative and Support Services 60.9 Construction 61.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 62.0 Other Services 63.7 Accommodation and Food Services 65.7

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 Youngstown-Warren's 75.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Glens Falls, NY 75.8 #368/378 Eugene-Springfield, OR 75.4 #367/378 Ogden, UT 74.6 #366/378 Pueblo, CO 74.5 #365/378 Pittsfield, MA 77.0 #370/378 Chico, CA 74.5 #364/378 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 74.3 #363/378 Fairbanks-College, AK 74.3 #362/378 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 74.0 #361/378 Worcester, MA 74.0 #360/378

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 Youngstown-Warren's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (98.7) 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 Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment