NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Salem, OR

Metro Market Score 56.8 (Challenging), ranked #220 of 378 metros. 1,246 establishments, 18,598 jobs.

Metro Market Score 56.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Salem scores 56.8 on the Metro Market Score for retail trade, placing it in the lower half. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

16.4

LQ: 0.96

Rank #62 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

62.4

$38,943 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 24.1

Employment growth index

Rank #288 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

71.5

YoY wage change index

1,246 Retail Trade Firms in Salem

1,246

Establishments

-0.9% YoY

18,598

Total Employment

-1.8% YoY

$38,943

Average Annual Wage

+1.9% YoY

0.96

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Oregon

#3 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Oregon state rank

#24 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-6.8

better than median (63.6)

Salem vs Oregon Statewide

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

Measure	Salem	OR Statewide
Overall Score	56.8 Challenging	42.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#220 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 Salem

Administrative and Support Services 33.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 35.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 41.9 Information 42.6 Accommodation and Food Services 43.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 46.5 Other Services 57.4 Construction 63.0 Finance and Insurance 64.0

Retail Trade in Other Oregon Metros

Bend 50.0 #139/378 Corvallis 52.9 #174/378 Albany 60.5 #261/378 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro 63.6 #296/378 Grants Pass 71.9 #349/378 Eugene-Springfield 75.4 #367/378 Medford 78.9 #374/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Salem's 56.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Owensboro, KY 56.8 #219/378 Muncie, IN 56.8 #221/378 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 56.7 #218/378 Akron, OH 56.7 #217/378 Alexandria, LA 56.6 #216/378 Yuba City, CA 56.6 #215/378 Cheyenne, WY 57.1 #222/378 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 56.4 #214/378 Bakersfield-Delano, CA 56.4 #213/378 Johnstown, PA 57.2 #223/378

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 Salem's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (75.9) 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 Salem, OR MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment