NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Cleveland, TN

Metro Market Score 47.2 (Moderate), ranked #102 of 378 metros. 419 establishments, 5,502 jobs.

Metro Market Score 47.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Cleveland ranks in the upper half for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 47.2, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

76.5

LQ: 1.27

Rank #289 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

39.7

$36,524 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 91.5

Employment growth index

Rank #33 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

78.2

YoY wage change index

419 Retail Trade Firms in Cleveland

419

Establishments

+4.0% YoY

5,502

Total Employment

+2.9% YoY

$36,524

Average Annual Wage

+3.2% YoY

1.27

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Tennessee

#4 of 9

retail trade metros in state

Tennessee state rank

#22 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-1.4

better than median (48.6)

Cleveland vs Tennessee Statewide

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

Measure	Cleveland	TN Statewide
Overall Score	47.2 Moderate	42.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#102 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 Cleveland

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 15.9 Information 20.5 Finance and Insurance 32.1 Accommodation and Food Services 45.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 47.7 Other Services 52.3 Construction 57.5 Administrative and Support Services 60.4

Retail Trade in Other Tennessee Metros

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

Grand Forks, ND 47.2 #101/378 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI 47.1 #100/378 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 47.0 #99/378 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY 47.4 #103/378 Jonesboro, AR 47.4 #104/378 St. Louis, MO 47.5 #105/378 Columbus, OH 46.9 #98/378 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA 46.8 #97/378 College Station-Bryan, TX 46.7 #96/378 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 47.7 #106/378

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 Cleveland's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (76.5) 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 Cleveland, TN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment