NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in York-Hanover, PA

Metro Market Score 49.8 (Challenging), ranked #136 of 378 metros. 1,139 establishments, 19,975 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

York-Hanover's retail trade market sits near the national metro median, ranking #136 of 378 with a market score of 49.8. 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

42.1

LQ: 1.10

Rank #159 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

18.3

$34,617 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 33.9

Employment growth index

Rank #251 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

74.6

YoY wage change index

1,139 Retail Trade Firms in York-Hanover

1,139

Establishments

-0.4% YoY

19,975

Total Employment

-1.2% YoY

$34,617

Average Annual Wage

+2.5% YoY

1.10

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#10 of 16

retail trade metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#6 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+0.6

worse than median (49.3)

York-Hanover vs Pennsylvania Statewide

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

Measure	York-Hanover	PA Statewide
Overall Score	49.8 Challenging	38.1 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#136 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 York-Hanover

Information 33.4 Finance and Insurance 43.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 44.3 Accommodation and Food Services 44.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 46.3 Administrative and Support Services 53.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 65.3 Construction 66.1 Other Services 67.9

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 Altoona 51.7 #160/378

+ 5 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of York-Hanover's 49.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Odessa, TX 49.8 #135/378 Montgomery, AL 49.9 #137/378 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 49.8 #134/378 Cincinnati, OH 49.8 #133/378 Yuma, AZ 50.0 #138/378 Bend, OR 50.0 #139/378 Charleston, WV 50.0 #140/378 Midland, MI 50.1 #141/378 Lubbock, TX 49.6 #132/378 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL 50.1 #142/378

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 York-Hanover's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (66.1) 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 York-Hanover, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment