NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Reading, PA

Metro Market Score 38.7 (Moderate), ranked #42 of 378 metros. 1,094 establishments, 18,583 jobs.

Metro Market Score 38.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

Reading ranks in the top quartile for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 38.7, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

34.4

LQ: 1.07

Rank #130 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

29.6

$35,694 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 70.9

Employment growth index

Rank #111 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

70.0

YoY wage change index

1,094 Retail Trade Firms in Reading

1,094

Establishments

+0.4% YoY

18,583

Total Employment

+0.5% YoY

$35,694

Average Annual Wage

+1.6% YoY

1.07

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#2 of 16

retail trade metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#6 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-10.5

better than median (49.3)

Reading vs Pennsylvania Statewide

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

Measure	Reading	PA Statewide
Overall Score	38.7 Moderate	38.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#42 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.

Retail Trade in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Chambersburg 38.4 #40/378 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 Altoona 51.7 #160/378

+ 5 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Reading's 38.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Cleveland, OH 38.7 #41/378 Napa, CA 38.8 #43/378 Lake Charles, LA 39.0 #44/378 Gainesville, GA 39.0 #45/378 Chambersburg, PA 38.4 #40/378 Visalia, CA 38.4 #39/378 Appleton, WI 39.0 #46/378 Bowling Green, KY 38.3 #38/378 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 39.2 #47/378 Tallahassee, FL 38.1 #37/378

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 Reading's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (70.0) 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 Reading, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment