NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Kingsport-Bristol, TN

Metro Market Score 43.3 (Moderate), ranked #74 of 378 metros. 1,116 establishments, 15,286 jobs.

Metro Market Score 43.3

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 Kingsport-Bristol's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 80.2. Combined with a 43.3 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

81.8

LQ: 1.30

Rank #309 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

15.1

$34,240 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 80.2

Employment growth index

Rank #76 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

65.8

YoY wage change index

1,116 Retail Trade Firms in Kingsport-Bristol

1,116

Establishments

+2.0% YoY

15,286

Total Employment

+1.2% YoY

$34,240

Average Annual Wage

+0.8% YoY

1.30

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Tennessee

#3 of 9

retail trade metros in state

Tennessee state rank

#22 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-5.3

better than median (48.6)

Kingsport-Bristol vs Tennessee Statewide

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

Measure	Kingsport-Bristol	TN Statewide
Overall Score	43.3 Moderate	42.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#74 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 Kingsport-Bristol

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 13.8 Finance and Insurance 30.0 Other Services 32.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 37.0 Information 38.7

Retail Trade in Other Tennessee Metros

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

Waco, TX 43.5 #75/378 Augusta-Richmond County, GA 43.2 #73/378 Decatur, IL 43.1 #71/378 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC 43.1 #72/378 Midland, TX 43.1 #70/378 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT 43.7 #76/378 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 42.9 #69/378 Lexington-Fayette, KY 42.8 #68/378 Rome, GA 42.8 #67/378 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 42.7 #65/378

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 Kingsport-Bristol's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (81.8) 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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment