NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Laredo, TX

Metro Market Score 34.6 (Favorable), ranked #22 of 378 metros. 760 establishments, 12,510 jobs.

Metro Market Score 34.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Laredo's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 81.8. Combined with a 34.6 market score, this metro sits in the top 10% for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

57.1

LQ: 1.17

Rank #216 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

6.1

$33,045 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 81.8

Employment growth index

Rank #70 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

66.8

YoY wage change index

760 Retail Trade Firms in Laredo

760

Establishments

+1.3% YoY

12,510

Total Employment

+1.3% YoY

$33,045

Average Annual Wage

+1.0% YoY

1.17

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Texas

#1 of 25

retail trade metros in state

Texas state rank

#17 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-15.8

better than median (50.5)

Laredo vs Texas Statewide

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

Measure	Laredo	TX Statewide
Overall Score	34.6 Favorable	41.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#22 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 Laredo

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 17.9 Information 26.2 Finance and Insurance 28.6 Construction 29.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 31.8 Other Services 43.1 Accommodation and Food Services 43.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 46.0 Administrative and Support Services 47.9

Retail Trade in Other Texas Metros

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 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 Laredo's 34.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 34.7 #23/378 Wausau, WI 34.6 #21/378 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI 34.8 #24/378 Dubuque, IA 34.4 #20/378 Jackson, MS 34.9 #25/378 Ithaca, NY 34.3 #19/378 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 34.2 #18/378 Topeka, KS 35.1 #26/378 Spartanburg, SC 34.1 #17/378 Monroe, LA 34.0 #16/378

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 Laredo's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (57.1) 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 Laredo, TX MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment