NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

Metro Market Score 37.2 (Moderate), ranked #33 of 378 metros. 1,032 establishments, 17,538 jobs.

Metro Market Score 37.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

⚡Rising Wages

Brownsville-Harlingen ranks in the top 10% for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 37.2, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

45.5

LQ: 1.12

Rank #172 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

6.9

$33,102 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 70.1

Employment growth index

Rank #114 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

75.7

YoY wage change index

1,032 Retail Trade Firms in Brownsville-Harlingen

1,032

Establishments

+1.1% YoY

17,538

Total Employment

+0.5% YoY

$33,102

Average Annual Wage

+2.7% YoY

1.12

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Texas

#2 of 25

retail trade metros in state

Texas state rank

#17 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-13.3

better than median (50.5)

Brownsville-Harlingen vs Texas Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Texas overall. The state ranks #17/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Brownsville-Harlingen	TX Statewide
Overall Score	37.2 Moderate	41.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#33 of 378 metros	#17 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 Brownsville-Harlingen

Construction 15.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 17.3 Finance and Insurance 23.3 Information 27.5 Other Services 30.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 45.2 Accommodation and Food Services 48.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.0 Administrative and Support Services 59.3

Retail Trade in Other Texas Metros

Laredo 34.6 #22/378 Longview 42.7 #66/378 Midland 43.1 #70/378 Waco 43.5 #75/378 Eagle Pass 45.7 #88/378 College Station-Bryan 46.7 #96/378 Corpus Christi 47.9 #108/378 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands 48.7 #117/378 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos 48.8 #119/378 Lubbock 49.6 #132/378

+ 14 more metros. View all in Texas →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Brownsville-Harlingen's 37.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI 37.1 #32/378 Decatur, AL 37.0 #31/378 Joplin, MO 37.4 #34/378 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA 36.9 #30/378 Chattanooga, TN 38.0 #35/378 Sheboygan, WI 38.0 #36/378 Tallahassee, FL 38.1 #37/378 Bowling Green, KY 38.3 #38/378 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA 36.0 #29/378 Visalia, CA 38.4 #39/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Texas

State-level entry risk for retail trade in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

New Mexico 39.9 #11/51 Oklahoma 46.3 #35/51 Arkansas 51.8 #44/51 Louisiana 52.3 #46/51

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 Brownsville-Harlingen's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (75.7) 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment