NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Lubbock, TX

Metro Market Score 49.6 (Challenging), ranked #132 of 378 metros. 1,202 establishments, 21,033 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

📈Rapid Growth

Lubbock ranks in the upper half for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 49.6, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

77.5

LQ: 1.27

Rank #293 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

59.3

$38,677 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 95.0

Employment growth index

Rank #20 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

69.4

YoY wage change index

1,202 Retail Trade Firms in Lubbock

1,202

Establishments

+12.0% YoY

21,033

Total Employment

+5.3% YoY

$38,677

Average Annual Wage

+1.5% YoY

1.27

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Texas

#11 of 25

retail trade metros in state

Texas state rank

#17 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-0.9

better than median (50.5)

Lubbock vs Texas Statewide

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

Measure	Lubbock	TX Statewide
Overall Score	49.6 Challenging	41.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#132 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 Lubbock

Other Services 44.7

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 Corpus Christi 47.9 #108/378 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands 48.7 #117/378 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos 48.8 #119/378

+ 14 more metros. View all in Texas →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lubbock's 49.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Columbia, SC 49.6 #130/378 Homosassa Springs, FL 49.6 #131/378 Kankakee, IL 49.5 #129/378 Paducah, KY 49.5 #128/378 Cincinnati, OH 49.8 #133/378 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 49.8 #134/378 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 49.4 #127/378 Odessa, TX 49.8 #135/378 York-Hanover, PA 49.8 #136/378 Montgomery, AL 49.9 #137/378

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 Lubbock's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (77.5) 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 Lubbock, TX MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment