NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Tulsa, OK

Metro Market Score 51.0 (Challenging), ranked #151 of 378 metros. 3,376 establishments, 48,447 jobs.

Metro Market Score 51.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Retail Trade conditions in Tulsa are mixed. The 51.0 market score puts it at #151 of 378, with no metric pulling sharply in either direction. Wages, growth, and competition are all within a normal range for this industry.

Industry Concentration

34.7

LQ: 1.07

Rank #131 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

48.7

$37,488 avg wage

Growth Trend

47.9

Employment growth index

Rank #198 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.5

YoY wage change index

3,376 Retail Trade Firms in Tulsa

3,376

Establishments

-4.3% YoY

48,447

Total Employment

-0.3% YoY

$37,488

Average Annual Wage

+2.1% YoY

1.07

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Oklahoma

#3 of 4

retail trade metros in state

Oklahoma state rank

#35 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (51.0)

Tulsa vs Oklahoma Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Oklahoma overall. The state ranks #35/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Tulsa	OK Statewide
Overall Score	51.0 Challenging	46.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#151 of 378 metros	#35 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 Tulsa

Construction 38.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 40.8 Other Services 49.9 Finance and Insurance 50.5 Information 55.6

Retail Trade in Other Oklahoma Metros

Oklahoma City 46.1 #91/378 Enid 50.1 #143/378 Lawton 56.0 #208/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Tulsa's 51.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Omaha, NE 51.0 #152/378 Walla Walla, WA 51.0 #153/378 Johnson City, TN 51.1 #154/378 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 51.3 #155/378 Sandusky, OH 50.6 #150/378 Sebring, FL 50.6 #149/378 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA 50.5 #148/378 Sherman-Denison, TX 50.5 #147/378 Boise City, ID 51.5 #156/378 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC 50.4 #146/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Oklahoma

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

New Mexico 39.9 #11/51 Kansas 40.4 #14/51 Texas 41.6 #17/51 Colorado 42.9 #23/51 Missouri 50.6 #42/51 Arkansas 51.8 #44/51

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 Tulsa's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (52.1) 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 Tulsa, OK MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment