NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Clarksville, TN

Metro Market Score 48.6 (Challenging), ranked #116 of 378 metros. 1,001 establishments, 13,729 jobs.

Metro Market Score 48.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

📈Rapid Growth

Clarksville ranks in the upper half for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 48.6, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

87.3

LQ: 1.35

Rank #330 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

37.8

$36,366 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 88.6

Employment growth index

Rank #44 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

69.4

YoY wage change index

1,001 Retail Trade Firms in Clarksville

1,001

Establishments

+7.2% YoY

13,729

Total Employment

+2.3% YoY

$36,366

Average Annual Wage

+1.5% YoY

1.35

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Tennessee

#5 of 9

retail trade metros in state

Tennessee state rank

#22 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (48.6)

Clarksville vs Tennessee Statewide

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

Measure	Clarksville	TN Statewide
Overall Score	48.6 Challenging	42.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#116 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 Clarksville

Finance and Insurance 23.7 Administrative and Support Services 59.0

Retail Trade in Other Tennessee Metros

Chattanooga 38.0 #35/378 Jackson 40.4 #52/378 Kingsport-Bristol 43.3 #74/378 Cleveland 47.2 #102/378 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 Clarksville's 48.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Wichita, KS 48.5 #115/378 Springfield, OH 48.5 #114/378 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 48.7 #117/378 Kokomo, IN 48.8 #118/378 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 48.8 #119/378 Kansas City, MO 48.9 #120/378 State College, PA 48.9 #121/378 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 48.9 #122/378 Lima, OH 48.2 #113/378 Duluth, MN 48.9 #123/378

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 Clarksville's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (87.3) 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 Clarksville, TN-KY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment