NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Columbia, SC

Metro Market Score 49.6 (Challenging), ranked #130 of 378 metros. 2,978 establishments, 43,827 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Columbia ranks in the upper half for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 49.6, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

43.1

LQ: 1.11

Rank #163 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

47.4

$37,443 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 66.1

Employment growth index

Rank #129 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

83.9

YoY wage change index

2,978 Retail Trade Firms in Columbia

2,978

Establishments

+1.8% YoY

43,827

Total Employment

+0.3% YoY

$37,443

Average Annual Wage

+4.3% YoY

1.11

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within South Carolina

#4 of 8

retail trade metros in state

South Carolina state rank

#30 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-11.2

better than median (60.8)

Columbia vs South Carolina Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to South Carolina overall. The state ranks #30/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Columbia	SC Statewide
Overall Score	49.6 Challenging	44.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#130 of 378 metros	#30 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 Columbia

Construction 30.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 55.8

Retail Trade in Other South Carolina Metros

Spartanburg 34.1 #17/378 Greenville-Anderson-Greer 43.1 #72/378 Charleston-North Charleston 49.4 #127/378 Sumter 60.8 #266/378 Florence 61.9 #275/378 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal 62.9 #286/378 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach 77.7 #371/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Columbia's 49.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Homosassa Springs, FL 49.6 #131/378 Kankakee, IL 49.5 #129/378 Lubbock, TX 49.6 #132/378 Paducah, KY 49.5 #128/378 Cincinnati, OH 49.8 #133/378 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 49.4 #127/378 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 49.8 #134/378 Odessa, TX 49.8 #135/378 York-Hanover, PA 49.8 #136/378 Montgomery, AL 49.9 #137/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering South Carolina

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

North Carolina 43.4 #25/51 Georgia 47.5 #38/51

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 Columbia's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (83.9) 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 Columbia, SC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment