NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Williamsport, PA

Metro Market Score 49.0 (Challenging), ranked #124 of 378 metros. 399 establishments, 5,772 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.0

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 Williamsport are mixed. The 49.0 market score puts it at #124 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

55.6

LQ: 1.16

Rank #210 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

7.1

$33,231 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 28.8

Employment growth index

Rank #270 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

60.1

YoY wage change index

399 Retail Trade Firms in Williamsport

399

Establishments

+0.3% YoY

5,772

Total Employment

-1.5% YoY

$33,231

Average Annual Wage

-0.3% YoY

1.16

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#8 of 16

retail trade metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#6 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-0.2

better than median (49.3)

Williamsport vs Pennsylvania Statewide

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

Measure	Williamsport	PA Statewide
Overall Score	49.0 Challenging	38.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#124 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 Williamsport

Information 30.8 Accommodation and Food Services 32.3 Construction 40.7 Finance and Insurance 40.7 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 42.2 Administrative and Support Services 42.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 51.2 Other Services 53.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 61.5

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 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 Williamsport's 49.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Duluth, MN 48.9 #123/378 State College, PA 48.9 #121/378 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 48.9 #122/378 Kansas City, MO 48.9 #120/378 Kenosha, WI 49.2 #125/378 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 48.8 #119/378 Erie, PA 49.3 #126/378 Kokomo, IN 48.8 #118/378 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 49.4 #127/378 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 48.7 #117/378

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 Williamsport's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (71.2) 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 Williamsport, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment