NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Sumter, SC

Metro Market Score 60.8 (Difficult), ranked #266 of 378 metros. 385 establishments, 4,244 jobs.

Metro Market Score 60.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

⚡Rising Wages

Retail Trade employment in Sumter contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the lower half at 7.1. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

67.7

LQ: 1.21

Rank #256 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

0.5

$31,320 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 7.1

Employment growth index

Rank #352 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

79.3

YoY wage change index

385 Retail Trade Firms in Sumter

385

Establishments

+1.3% YoY

4,244

Total Employment

-4.3% YoY

$31,320

Average Annual Wage

+3.4% YoY

1.21

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within South Carolina

#5 of 8

retail trade metros in state

South Carolina state rank

#30 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (60.8)

Sumter 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	Sumter	SC Statewide
Overall Score	60.8 Difficult	44.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#266 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 Sumter

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 24.2 Information 27.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 32.6 Finance and Insurance 33.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 37.1 Administrative and Support Services 39.4 Accommodation and Food Services 52.9 Other Services 54.6 Construction 59.9

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 Columbia 49.6 #130/378 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 Sumter's 60.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Saginaw, MI 60.8 #265/378 Sioux City, IA 60.7 #264/378 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 60.7 #263/378 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 60.6 #262/378 Tucson, AZ 60.5 #260/378 Albany, OR 60.5 #261/378 Rockford, IL 60.5 #259/378 Providence-Warwick, RI 61.1 #267/378 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN 60.4 #258/378 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 60.4 #257/378

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 Sumter's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (92.9) 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 Sumter, SC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment