NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA

Metro Market Score 52.7 (Challenging), ranked #170 of 378 metros. 2,417 establishments, 38,224 jobs.

Metro Market Score 52.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton's retail trade market sits near the national metro median, ranking #170 of 378 with a market score of 52.7. No single metric stands out as an outlier, which means entry conditions depend more on your specific business model than on broad market forces.

Industry Concentration

25.4

LQ: 1.03

Rank #96 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

38.9

$36,488 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 26.7

Employment growth index

Rank #278 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

73.1

YoY wage change index

2,417 Retail Trade Firms in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton

2,417

Establishments

-0.5% YoY

38,224

Total Employment

-1.5% YoY

$36,488

Average Annual Wage

+2.2% YoY

1.03

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#12 of 16

retail trade metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#6 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+3.4

worse than median (49.3)

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton vs Pennsylvania Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Pennsylvania overall. The state ranks #6/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton	PA Statewide
Overall Score	52.7 Challenging	38.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#170 of 378 metros	#6 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 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton

Other Services 44.0 Accommodation and Food Services 45.3 Administrative and Support Services 51.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.7

Retail Trade in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Chambersburg 38.4 #40/378 Reading 38.7 #42/378 Pittsburgh 42.5 #63/378 Gettysburg 44.5 #80/378 Harrisburg-Carlisle 46.5 #93/378 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre 46.5 #94/378 State College 48.9 #121/378 Williamsport 49.0 #124/378 Erie 49.3 #126/378 York-Hanover 49.8 #136/378

+ 5 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton's 52.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Portland-South Portland, ME 52.7 #171/378 Ann Arbor, MI 52.6 #169/378 Lincoln, NE 52.8 #172/378 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 52.8 #173/378 Lewiston, ID 52.5 #168/378 Corvallis, OR 52.9 #174/378 Anniston-Oxford, AL 52.9 #175/378 Texarkana, TX 52.4 #167/378 Winchester, VA 52.4 #166/378 Pocatello, ID 53.0 #176/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Pennsylvania

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

Ohio 39.2 #8/51 Delaware 41.8 #19/51 Maryland 43.6 #26/51 New Jersey 43.7 #27/51 West Virginia 52.8 #47/51 New York 57.2 #49/51

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 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (73.3) 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 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment