NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Providence-Warwick, RI

Metro Market Score 61.1 (Difficult), ranked #267 of 378 metros. 5,647 establishments, 78,390 jobs.

Metro Market Score 61.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Wage costs in Providence-Warwick's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 75.7 and rising pressure at 76.2. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

45.0

LQ: 1.11

Rank #170 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

75.7

$40,753 avg wage

Growth Trend

47.6

Employment growth index

Rank #199 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

76.2

YoY wage change index

5,647 Retail Trade Firms in Providence-Warwick

5,647

Establishments

-0.8% YoY

78,390

Total Employment

-0.3% YoY

$40,753

Average Annual Wage

+2.8% YoY

1.11

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Rhode Island

#1 of 1

retail trade metros in state

Rhode Island state rank

#21 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (61.1)

Providence-Warwick vs Rhode Island Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Rhode Island overall. The state ranks #21/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Providence-Warwick	RI Statewide
Overall Score	61.1 Difficult	42.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#267 of 378 metros	#21 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 Providence-Warwick

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 53.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 53.9 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 55.1 Other Services 57.7 Information 61.6 Accommodation and Food Services 63.2 Administrative and Support Services 65.3 Finance and Insurance 66.0

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Providence-Warwick's 61.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Traverse City, MI 61.3 #268/378 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 61.4 #269/378 Sumter, SC 60.8 #266/378 Saginaw, MI 60.8 #265/378 Sioux City, IA 60.7 #264/378 Wheeling, WV 61.5 #270/378 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 60.7 #263/378 Bangor, ME 61.6 #271/378 Stockton-Lodi, CA 61.6 #272/378 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 61.6 #273/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Rhode Island

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

Massachusetts 37.1 #4/51 Connecticut 44.7 #31/51

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 Providence-Warwick's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (75.7) 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 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment