NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Erie, PA

Metro Market Score 49.3 (Challenging), ranked #126 of 378 metros. 869 establishments, 13,332 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Retail Trade conditions in Erie are mixed. The 49.3 market score puts it at #126 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

45.8

LQ: 1.12

Rank #173 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

10.8

$33,688 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 29.6

Employment growth index

Rank #267 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

70.0

YoY wage change index

869 Retail Trade Firms in Erie

869

Establishments

+0.1% YoY

13,332

Total Employment

-1.4% YoY

$33,688

Average Annual Wage

+1.6% YoY

1.12

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#9 of 16

retail trade metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#6 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (49.3)

Erie vs Pennsylvania Statewide

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

Measure	Erie	PA Statewide
Overall Score	49.3 Challenging	38.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#126 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 Erie

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 17.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 30.6 Information 32.4 Construction 36.6 Administrative and Support Services 41.5 Accommodation and Food Services 49.0 Finance and Insurance 49.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.3 Other Services 55.7

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 York-Hanover 49.8 #136/378 Altoona 51.7 #160/378

+ 5 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Erie's 49.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Kenosha, WI 49.2 #125/378 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 49.4 #127/378 Williamsport, PA 49.0 #124/378 Paducah, KY 49.5 #128/378 Kankakee, IL 49.5 #129/378 Duluth, MN 48.9 #123/378 Columbia, SC 49.6 #130/378 Homosassa Springs, FL 49.6 #131/378 State College, PA 48.9 #121/378 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 48.9 #122/378

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 Erie's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (70.4) 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 Erie, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment