NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Chattanooga, TN

Metro Market Score 38.0 (Moderate), ranked #35 of 378 metros. 2,131 establishments, 28,537 jobs.

Metro Market Score 38.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Chattanooga's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 82.3. Combined with a 38.0 market score, this metro sits in the top 10% for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

30.9

LQ: 1.06

Rank #117 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

47.1

$37,427 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 82.3

Employment growth index

Rank #68 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

65.8

YoY wage change index

2,131 Retail Trade Firms in Chattanooga

2,131

Establishments

+2.2% YoY

28,537

Total Employment

+1.4% YoY

$37,427

Average Annual Wage

+0.8% YoY

1.06

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Tennessee

#1 of 9

retail trade metros in state

Tennessee state rank

#22 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-10.6

better than median (48.6)

Chattanooga vs Tennessee Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Tennessee overall. The state ranks #22/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Chattanooga	TN Statewide
Overall Score	38.0 Moderate	42.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#35 of 378 metros	#22 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 Chattanooga

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 41.4 Information 51.3 Finance and Insurance 53.3 Other Services 61.3

Retail Trade in Other Tennessee Metros

Jackson 40.4 #52/378 Kingsport-Bristol 43.3 #74/378 Cleveland 47.2 #102/378 Clarksville 48.6 #116/378 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin 50.3 #145/378 Johnson City 51.1 #154/378 Morristown 58.4 #236/378 Knoxville 63.7 #297/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Chattanooga's 38.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Sheboygan, WI 38.0 #36/378 Tallahassee, FL 38.1 #37/378 Bowling Green, KY 38.3 #38/378 Visalia, CA 38.4 #39/378 Chambersburg, PA 38.4 #40/378 Joplin, MO 37.4 #34/378 Cleveland, OH 38.7 #41/378 Reading, PA 38.7 #42/378 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 37.2 #33/378 Napa, CA 38.8 #43/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Tennessee

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

Virginia 41.6 #17/51 North Carolina 43.4 #25/51 Kentucky 46.4 #36/51 Alabama 46.4 #36/51 Georgia 47.5 #38/51 Missouri 50.6 #42/51 Arkansas 51.8 #44/51 Mississippi 59.2 #51/51

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 Chattanooga's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (65.8) 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 Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment