NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Knoxville, TN

Metro Market Score 63.7 (Difficult), ranked #297 of 378 metros. 3,167 establishments, 49,986 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 63.7
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Wage costs in Knoxville's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 84.9 and rising pressure at 73.6. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration
60.9
LQ: 1.19
Rank #230 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
84.9
$42,290 avg wage
Growth Trend
↑ 58.2
Employment growth index
Rank #159 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
73.6
YoY wage change index

3,167 Retail Trade Firms in Knoxville

3,167
Establishments
+1.6% YoY
49,986
Total Employment
+0.0% YoY
$42,290
Average Annual Wage
+2.3% YoY
1.19
Location Quotient
Above national avg

Knoxville vs Tennessee Statewide

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

Measure Knoxville TN Statewide
Overall Score 63.7 Difficult 42.8 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #297 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 Knoxville

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 51.9 Finance and Insurance 54.1 Administrative and Support Services 65.6

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 Clarksville 48.6 #116/378 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin 50.3 #145/378 Johnson City 51.1 #154/378 Morristown 58.4 #236/378

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 Knoxville's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (84.9) 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

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.