NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Corpus Christi, TX

Metro Market Score 47.9 (Moderate), ranked #108 of 378 metros. 1,270 establishments, 21,018 jobs.

Metro Market Score 47.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

⚡Rising Wages

Corpus Christi ranks in the upper half for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 47.9, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

40.5

LQ: 1.10

Rank #153 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

58.5

$38,653 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 70.4

Employment growth index

Rank #113 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

71.5

YoY wage change index

1,270 Retail Trade Firms in Corpus Christi

1,270

Establishments

+0.5% YoY

21,018

Total Employment

+0.5% YoY

$38,653

Average Annual Wage

+1.9% YoY

1.10

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Texas

#8 of 25

retail trade metros in state

Texas state rank

#17 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-2.5

better than median (50.5)

Corpus Christi vs Texas Statewide

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

Measure	Corpus Christi	TX Statewide
Overall Score	47.9 Moderate	41.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#108 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 Corpus Christi

Information 35.1 Finance and Insurance 38.5 Administrative and Support Services 51.8 Other Services 56.8 Construction 60.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 61.5 Accommodation and Food Services 65.7

Retail Trade in Other Texas Metros

Laredo 34.6 #22/378 Brownsville-Harlingen 37.2 #33/378 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 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 Corpus Christi's 47.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 47.9 #107/378 Greeley, CO 48.0 #109/378 Jacksonville, FL 48.1 #110/378 Elkhart-Goshen, IN 48.1 #111/378 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 47.7 #106/378 Springfield, MO 48.1 #112/378 Lima, OH 48.2 #113/378 St. Louis, MO 47.5 #105/378 Jonesboro, AR 47.4 #104/378 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY 47.4 #103/378

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 Corpus Christi's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (58.5) 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 Corpus Christi, TX MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment