NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Medford, OR

Metro Market Score 78.9 (Difficult), ranked #374 of 378 metros. 840 establishments, 13,324 jobs.

Metro Market Score 78.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

With a 1.46 location quotient, Medford has an outsized retail trade presence relative to its population. That concentration (index: 94.4) creates a mature local market where supplier networks are established but differentiation matters more.

Industry Concentration

94.4

LQ: 1.46

Rank #357 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

78.3

$41,127 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 28.3

Employment growth index

Rank #272 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

71.0

YoY wage change index

840 Retail Trade Firms in Medford

840

Establishments

+0.4% YoY

13,324

Total Employment

-1.5% YoY

$41,127

Average Annual Wage

+1.8% YoY

1.46

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Oregon

#8 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Oregon state rank

#24 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+15.3

worse than median (63.6)

Medford vs Oregon Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Oregon overall. The state ranks #24/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Medford	OR Statewide
Overall Score	78.9 Difficult	42.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#374 of 378 metros	#24 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 Medford

Administrative and Support Services 39.7 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 48.6 Finance and Insurance 50.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 50.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 52.7 Construction 54.8 Other Services 60.6 Information 62.5 Accommodation and Food Services 67.2

Retail Trade in Other Oregon Metros

Bend 50.0 #139/378 Corvallis 52.9 #174/378 Salem 56.8 #220/378 Albany 60.5 #261/378 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro 63.6 #296/378 Grants Pass 71.9 #349/378 Eugene-Springfield 75.4 #367/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Medford's 78.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Great Falls, MT 78.9 #375/378 Coeur d'Alene, ID 78.6 #373/378 Salisbury, MD 78.6 #372/378 Kahului-Wailuku, HI 79.9 #376/378 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC 77.7 #371/378 Pittsfield, MA 77.0 #370/378 Redding, CA 81.1 #377/378 Youngstown-Warren, OH 75.8 #369/378 Glens Falls, NY 75.8 #368/378 Eugene-Springfield, OR 75.4 #367/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Oregon

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

Nevada 37.0 #3/51 Idaho 40.1 #12/51 Washington 42.0 #20/51 California 44.0 #28/51

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 Medford's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (94.4) 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 Medford, OR MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment