NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT

Metro Market Score 69.3 (Difficult), ranked #331 of 378 metros. 2,155 establishments, 34,178 jobs.

Metro Market Score 69.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Provo-Orem-Lehi stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 79.9 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 82.9 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

51.3

LQ: 1.14

Rank #194 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

79.9

$41,367 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 33.6

Employment growth index

Rank #252 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

82.9

YoY wage change index

2,155 Retail Trade Firms in Provo-Orem-Lehi

2,155

Establishments

-2.4% YoY

34,178

Total Employment

-1.2% YoY

$41,367

Average Annual Wage

+4.1% YoY

1.14

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Utah

#3 of 5

retail trade metros in state

Utah state rank

#13 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (69.3)

Provo-Orem-Lehi vs Utah Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Utah overall. The state ranks #13/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Provo-Orem-Lehi	UT Statewide
Overall Score	69.3 Difficult	40.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#331 of 378 metros	#13 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 Provo-Orem-Lehi

Other Services 32.7 Accommodation and Food Services 34.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 52.1 Construction 55.1 Information 59.7 Finance and Insurance 69.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 74.0

Retail Trade in Other Utah Metros

Salt Lake City-Murray 62.5 #279/378 St. George 64.8 #309/378 Logan 70.1 #340/378 Ogden 74.6 #366/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Provo-Orem-Lehi's 69.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Longview-Kelso, WA 69.3 #332/378 Bay City, MI 69.3 #330/378 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 69.2 #329/378 Hammond, LA 69.7 #333/378 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 69.7 #334/378 Jacksonville, NC 69.7 #335/378 Dover, DE 69.8 #336/378 Naples-Marco Island, FL 68.8 #328/378 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 68.7 #327/378 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA 69.9 #337/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Utah

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

Nevada 37.0 #3/51 New Mexico 39.9 #11/51 Idaho 40.1 #12/51 Colorado 42.9 #23/51 Arizona 44.9 #32/51 Wyoming 44.9 #33/51

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 Provo-Orem-Lehi's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (79.9) 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 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment