NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

Metro Market Score 50.3 (Challenging), ranked #145 of 378 metros. 7,422 establishments, 104,859 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 50.3
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages🌱Emerging Market

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 95.0 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 78.8 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
15.9
LQ: 0.96
Rank #60 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
95.0
$45,101 avg wage
Growth Trend
↑ 77.3
Employment growth index
Rank #87 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
78.8
YoY wage change index

7,422 Retail Trade Firms in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin

7,422
Establishments
+2.8% YoY
104,859
Total Employment
+0.9% YoY
$45,101
Average Annual Wage
+3.3% YoY
0.96
Location Quotient
Below national avg

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin vs Tennessee Statewide

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

Measure Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin TN Statewide
Overall Score 50.3 Challenging 42.8 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #145 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin

Other Services 53.8 Information 59.9

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 Johnson City 51.1 #154/378 Morristown 58.4 #236/378 Knoxville 63.7 #297/378

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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (95.0) 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.